


Running (Through Your Head) Leaves Me Breathless

by reliablyimperfect



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: 2016 Summer Olympics, Alternate Universe - Football, Alternate Universe - Olympics, Injury, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-13
Updated: 2018-12-13
Packaged: 2019-09-17 08:03:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 22,964
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16970829
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reliablyimperfect/pseuds/reliablyimperfect
Summary: Liam and Louis are playing for England at the Olympics. Liam meets Niall day one and is instantly intrigued by his competition. They hook up, but figure out that they enjoy each other's company outside of the bedroom, much to the disgust of their teammates.ORThey hook up and fall in love despite their team hating their friendship and the rest of the world supporting it.





	Running (Through Your Head) Leaves Me Breathless

**Author's Note:**

> I’d really like a beta, if anyone wants to volunteer. Preferably someone good at English. My common mistakes are swapping between verb tenses and typical spelling typos. Also, help with general plot and title names would be helpful. If you (or a friend or something) would like to help, let me know!

_Liam stands in the middle of the pitch, turning in slow circles to take in the cheering crowd. The noise is deafening, and he knows his ears will be ringing for hours after the game. But it’s worth it. They just won gold at the Olympics. Liam glances over at his team who is gathered around their coach, probably talking about the awards ceremony._

_The last note of God Save the Queen rings out, echoing in the huge stadium for a second before the crowd erupts into loud cheers. Liam’s face is aching from how hard he’s smiling, and he glances around him at his team mates. As the man walks up to the team with the gold medals, a sound blares throughout the stadium. Looking up, Liam can’t see anything. His teammates around him seem oblivious to the noise, laughing and grinning as they are presented with their medals. Liam shakes his head, but the noise doesn’t go away._

 

Liam woke with a start, the dream already fading away. He turned off his alarm. The offending noise just reminded him of the medal he didn’t get, and he sunk back down onto his pillow with a sigh. Rubbing sleep from his eyes, he got out of bed to shower.

As he showered, Liam ran over the days ahead of him. A cab would be here to pick him up in an hour to drive him to the airport. The rest of the European football team would arrive in their own respective cabs, and then they would start their flight to Rio for the Summer 2016 Games. The day after that, the team starts training.

The team’s coach had been giving brutal drills during their team practices lately, leaving Liam drenched in sweat after every practice. However, because of this, the team was in the best shape they’ve ever been, and they were ready for the Olympics.

 

When the bus full of England’s team pulled up to the training center, Liam’s mouth fell open. A huge glass building towered above them, each tile glinting in the sunlight.

“This is where we get to _practice_?” Liam overheard one player voicing his opinion. “Imagine the stadium where we get to _play_!”

“Okay, lads,” Coach called. “When we get in, I want everyone doing laps. I want ten kilometers and ice bathes. Everyone.” Liam sighed softly, twisting his head to look at his friend and fellow player, Louis.

After they got settled into their respective lockers, Liam and Louis made their way out to the track. They stretched for a bit and then started to jog.

“This is crazy, right?” Louis asked, motioning to the training area around them. There were a few other people on the tracks other than the English team. Liam recognised a few of them, but a few he didn’t know. There was a blonde running around the track a few meters ahead of him and Louis. His hair flashed bright under the LED lighting from the ceiling, and it caught Liam’s eye.

When they were done with their laps, still puffing breath out, the blonde jogged up to them with a tall lanky guy with his hair pulled back in a bun. Liam could have sworn he saw Louis start drooling.

“Hello, fellow Olympians,” Louis greeted when they got within earshot.

“Hey,” The curly haired guy said with a slow, dirty smile that spread as he took in Louis’ lithe body. About halfway through laps, they had both pulled their shirts off. Now, Louis’ tan skin glowed with a thin layer of sweat. Liam saw Louis’ cheeks flush, but it was almost unnoticeable under the pink from running.

“Did you both arrive today?” Louis asked.

“I got here this morning, yeah, but Niall here got here a couple days ago. He’s on the Irish team.”

“Ooh. Competition,” Louis sang. “What are you competing in?”

“Football,” Niall said, a small grin to his face. “First game’s in about two weeks.” Liam couldn’t help but watch the way his mouth formed his words. He felt his face heat up when Niall caught him staring, arching an eyebrow in confusion.

“I’m swimming for England.” Harry chimed in. Liam believed him; he had the long, lean appearance of most professional swimmers.

“Got a swimmer and a footballer,” Louis chuckled. “We both play footie for England. So, Niall, I’m sure we’ll be seeing a lot of you.” Louis eyed Liam out of the corner of his eye, subtly nudging him with an elbow. The speakers above their heads played a chill tune with a nice beat above their heads as they made their way into the locker rooms for ice bathes – _can I stop the flow of time; can I swim in your divine?_

“I’ve never been able to get on board with the whole ice bath thing,” Niall complained as their tubs were filling. Louis pulled up a stool next to Liam’s tub and perched on top of it, crossing his ankles. Harry hovered close behind him, and they were shooting glances at each other.

“Yeah, I’d much prefer a nice massage,” Louis chimed in with a glance and a quick eyebrow raise in Harry’s direction. Harry answered him with a smirk, and Liam rolled his eyes. When Liam’s bath was ready, he pulled off his shirt and gym shorts and stepped into the tub, hissing softly at the sting. Niall’s bath was ready right after he got in. Liam couldn’t help but watch Niall expose his smooth, pale skin and Liam could feel his face heat despite being in up to his ribs in freezing water. This was the first time Liam was thankful for the cold water as his dick gave an interested twitch. He watched Niall’s abs flex when he sat down, nipples hard and breathing uneven from the cold.

“Bloody hell,” he cursed softly, settling himself into the tub with a breathless chuckle. Liam glanced around the locker room, spotting Louis’ empty stool. He listened for a minute, but, other than the crackle of the ice, the locker room was quiet.

“Where’d Lou and Harry go?” Liam asked.

“Louis mentioned wanting to see Harry in his speedo, and Harry just kinda pulled him out before he could say anything else.” Niall grinned. Liam settled himself in the tub, letting his eyes slip closed as he waited for his time to be up. A few minutes later, he heard a soft humming coming from beside him. A soft smile slipped onto his face as he heard Niall singing under his breath – _and our paper houses reach the stars, ‘til we break and scatter worlds apart._ His voice was soft, with the right amount of emotion for Liam to be humming the tune hours later while he was lounging in his bed, covers up to his hips.

 

The door to his hotel room opened and Louis came in, clothes and hair wet. Liam slowly took him in. He waited a moment to see if Louis would say anything, but he didn’t.

“The hell happened to you?” Liam asked with a grin, already knowing what he was going to say. “Also, how did you get into my room?”

“I hooked up with Harry,” Louis breathed out, a slightly panicked look in his eyes.

“Good on you, mate.” Liam chuckled, pulling an arm over his head to prop himself up.

“No!” Louis practically squeaked. “Not good!”

“What?” Liam asked, sitting up a bit more. “Thought you wanted to shag him?”

“God, Liam,” He said defeatedly, his shoulders slumping. “I did want to shag him.”

“Then what’s the problem, babe?”

“He’s amazing.”

“Ah, I get it,” Liam said knowingly. He pulled back the sheets and patted the empty half of the bed, inviting Louis. “Get your skinny arse over here and tell me about him, then.” Louis quickly changed his damp clothes, which meant digging through Liam’s bag and stealing his, and crawled under the covers. Liam curled an arm around him tightly, letting him talk about Harry until his breathing evened out and they both fell asleep.

 

Louis’ hushed voice woke Liam. He sat up in bed, rubbing at his eyes blearily. It was dark outside, and Liam had no idea what time it was. It felt like early evening, but after looking out the window, it could be anywhere between eight and four in the morning. The sky was black.

“Yeah, he’s up. I’ll ask him now,” Louis said slightly louder. “I’ll see you in a bit.”

“Who’s tha’?” Liam asked. Nodding his head at the phone.

“Harry,” Louis breathed. “He invited us to go out tonight.”

“Where are we going?”

“Bar down the road. You in?” Liam thought about it. Coach told them they were going to have a light day tomorrow, and Liam could really use a good drink.

“What the hell?” Liam grinned, pulling back the covers. “Yeah, I’m in.” Louis cheered and tapped a few keys on his phone before shoving it into his pocket.

“Now, help me get dressed. I wanna make Harry drool. Also, I’m showering here.” He didn’t give Liam a chance to respond before he was in the bathroom, shower running. He stepped out about ten minutes later, freshly showered, rubbing the scruff on his chin. “Shave, or no?”

“Don’t.” Liam suggested. “Makes you look rugged.”

“Now, clothes.”

“I’d say the black skinny jeans that you wear too much, and your white button down.” Louis nodded as he left the room to grab his clothes. Liam was kind of glad they had separate rooms. This way, if Louis had Harry back to hook up again, Liam wouldn’t be stuck out on the streets.

 

They walked to the bar since it was only a few blocks away. Liam had decided on ripped jeans and a plain white shirt to show off his tattoos. They walked into the bar, and Louis almost immediately found Harry curled in a booth with Niall and a dark-haired guy with more tattoos than Louis. Niall and the guy with dark hair were sitting close, talking lowly as Liam and Louis walked up, but stopped their conversation as they got closer, Niall’s face flushing red. They already had a collection of empty glasses at the table, and as they sat down, Harry signaled for a server. Liam was quiet as he sat, silently wondering if the guy was _with_ Niall.

Louis seemed frozen as he took in Harry. Louis’ goal was to make Harry drool, but it seemed to be happening the other way around. Harry had showed up in a black shirt that you could see through, and he swayed with the music. Louis’ hands twitched by his sides as if trying not to touch as he sat down, thigh flush against Harry’s.

Liam shook himself out of his thoughts, offering a hand to the guy who was talking with Niall.

“Liam, football player.” He had to almost shout to be heard over the bass, but the dark-haired guy nodded and shook his hand with a quiet, and barely audible, “Zayn, men’s gymnastics.” Liam’s eyebrows raised slightly before he could help it, and the guy grinned. Liam saw his tongue poking out from between his teeth, and Liam figured he couldn’t be all that bad.

“Told ya, Ni,” Zayn grinned at the blonde who offered Liam a small wave when he glanced. “Everyone judges.”

“No!” Liam exclaimed hastily. “You just don’t look-”

“Don’t look like a guy that’s into gymnastics?” Zayn finished.

“Yeah,” Liam breathed out with a small chuckle at the end. Zayn shook his head with a small grin, nodding as a waitress approached the table.

“A round for all of us.” Harry said, his hand disappearing below the table. Liam saw Louis squirm and he rolled his eyes. Thinking to himself, he swears, if he hears Louis moan, he’s going to shove them out of the booth.

 

“And then, he _tripped on the ball_!” Niall crowed, ruffling Zayn’s hair despite the scowl on his face.

“I’m not good at footie, tosser. But I’d like to see you land a triple.” He scoffed at Niall, who returned the half-assed insult with a grin that pushed his bright red cheeks up. Liam wasn’t sure what a triple was, but judging by the conversation, he’d guess it was relatively challenging. Liam glanced at Niall, back in conversation with Zayn.

Niall was drunk, and Liam could tell. He wasn’t sloppy, which Liam appreciated. He could hold his alcohol, but there was an ease to his words and limbs that gave him away. Liam could feel the alcohol slowing his thoughts, and he could feel how wide his grin was every time he laughed. Liam guessed he was about half a beer from being drunk.

“I’m gonna go find a fit bird and dance with her. I’m sure she’ll be nicer than you lot,” Zayn grumbled as he wedged his way out of the booth. When he had first walked up, Liam had been worried that he and Niall were together from the way they had their heads pressed close together, but Zayn couldn’t be further from gay. Liam felt warmth against his thigh and looked over to see that Niall had pressed closer to his side.

“This okay?” Niall asked, a touch too soft for the environment. Liam didn’t care, though, just nodded his head silently. Liam eventually got lost in a conversation with Harry about swimming until a warm hand is placed on his thigh, a tad too close to his crotch to be simply trying to get his attention. He threw a glance at Niall, a pause in the sentence he was nearly shouting to Harry, but carried on with his conversation. The hand stayed there, not straying, while Niall’s fingertips played with the seam on the inside of his jeans. Liam felt his dick start to take interest, having not been touched properly in weeks except a few quick wanks to ease some tension. He tried his best to ignore it, and was able to until he goes to answer a question Harry had about the games.

“When’s your first match?”

“I have my quarter finals on the seventh.”

“Who are you up against?”

“Denmark.”

“Do you think you’ll win?” Harry teased.

“I’ve snuck in to see a few of their practices, and their wea-uuuuh…” Liam’s voice trailed off as he felt the hand creep closer to his crotch. He could feel the muscles in his thighs tense and Niall’s hand wandered dangerously close to his half-hard cock. “Sorry, had a tickle.” He said, clearing his throat and throwing a look at Niall who was looking as innocent as could be. He had his phone in his right hand as his left teased Liam, now rubbing up and down his thigh. He alternated between fingernails scratching lightly at his thigh and a firm hand gripping the muscle tightly. Liam let out a loud breath through his nose, trying to remember where he was. His dick pressed insistently at his zipper, now fully hard.

“Um…their weakness is passing. So, uh, that’s where we can, you know, do better than them.” Niall chuckled softly to his right, eyes still glued to his phone, while Harry’s eyebrows furrowed. Niall’s hand still traced the seam on his jeans, and Liam shifted, widening his legs to give Niall more room. He could feel his dick leaking, creating a cool spot in his boxers as his cock twitched repeatedly.

“Well, then, I’m sure you’ll do great,” Harry said, confusion evident in his voice, like he’d been left out of an inside joke.

“Thanks, Harr-” Liam’s voice died as Niall finally, _finally_ , cupped a warm hand over Liam’s cock. He palmed Liam’s cock firmly as Liam helplessly pressed his hips up into the hand. Liam groaned, covering it up with a cough. “Sorry,” Liam croaked. “If you’ll excuse me, I’m gonna go grab a glass of water.” He adjusted his pants as he stood, shoving a hand in his pocket to mask the evident bulge he knew he’d have. He fled to the bar, half hoping Niall would come find him, so he could drag him to the bathrooms.

He took a few deep breaths as he waited for the water. It came all too soon, and, before he knew it, he was walking back to the table, cock still just as interested as when he left. He slipped back into the booth beside Niall, and almost immediately, the hand was back, playing with the seam so, _so_ close to where Liam needed him, but not quite there.

“If you don’t mind watching blondie here,” Harry directed at Liam, who shook his head perhaps a bit too quickly. Harry raised an eyebrow at Louis before offering his hand and pulling him out of the booth to the dance floor. Niall pounced almost instantly, lips latching onto Liam’s neck, sucking lightly.

“No visible marks,” Liam had the mind to gasp out as Niall climbed into his lap. He was making needy sounds, whining into Liam’s neck softly. Liam felt the noises go straight to his dick, making it jump.

“You wanna dance?” Niall asked, his voice slurred as he pulled back. His eyes were blown, and his hair was wild. Liam wasn’t sure if it was from arousal or drunkenness, but he looked delicious. Liam nodded, and Niall climbed out of the booth first, but let Liam lead him to the floor.

Liam crowded up behind Niall, pulling his arse back into his crotch by his hips. Niall stuttered out a moan at the first roll of Liam’s hip, pressing back insistently.

“You are such a fucking tease,” Liam rasped into Niall’s ear. “Can you feel how hard I am for you?” Niall nodded silently, rocking his hips in time with the music, keeping rhythm with Liam. They danced like that for the remainder of the song before he heard the familiar three beats of the beginning of another song. He spun Niall around to meet his eyes as the opening line played – _we should take this back to my place_. Liam crashed their lips together, teeth clicking as they kissed. Liam pulled Niall closer, his hands cupping his ass, making Niall gasp into their kiss.

Their hips moved hard and out-of-time, but they couldn’t be bothered. Liam could feel the sweat on Niall’s neck when he hands cupped his jaw. Liam pressed kisses into Niall’s skin, down the column of his throat and over his shoulder. Liam backed away to pant into Niall’s skin, dizzy with the need to come. Niall’s needy whines echoed in Liam’s ears as their hips started to move faster. Liam felt Niall tense, still, and groan low in his throat.

“Did you just-?”

“Yeah,” Niall panted.

“Fuck.” Liam breathed. He squeezed his eyes shut to avoid doing the same. He wanted Niall _now_.

“Please.” Niall begged, his voice a whine. Liam’s cock throbbed in his jeans, reminding him how long he’d been turned on.

“Yours or mine?”

“Yours.” Simple, but effective. Liam nodded, then pulled Niall off the floor by his hand. As Niall settled his tab at the bar, Liam pressed himself against the taut line of his back, feeling Niall shiver as Liam nosed at the back of his ear. Since it wasn’t socially acceptable to pull his clothes off, Liam ran his hands under Niall’s shirt to feel his sweaty skin. Noticing that he was now still, Liam smirked into Niall’s skin. It seemed to snap him out of his trance.

“Get off me so I can focus,” Niall chastised. Liam pulled away, but Niall grabbed his hand before he could go too far, linking their fingers softly. He met Liam’s eyes shyly. “This okay?” Liam nodded and pulled Niall out of the bar.

Liam almost wanted to run back to the hotel, desperate to get his hands on Niall again. His fingers were tingly, but Liam figured it was from the alcohol. The short walk seemed to take hours, but they eventually made it to the hotel.

 

Liam had to try the key three times before the light turned green and he could open the door. Niall was pressed against his back, his hand wandering over his abs as they stumbled through the door. Liam pushed the door shut and crowded Niall up against it, their lips meeting in a firm kiss that had Niall’s knees weakening. Liam, as though he could sense it, wrapped an arm securely around Niall’s back, holding him close as they kissed. When they pulled back, breathless, Niall’s eyes were black with the slightest hint of blue around the edges. Liam wanted to wreck him. Take him apart and put him back together.

“Bedroom.” Liam ordered. Niall nodded, and Liam pulled Niall into the dark room. Liam grabbed Niall’s hand and spun him around to let their mouths meet in a scorching kiss again. Liam’s hand migrated down Niall’s body, over his broad shoulders, and ran down his sides until he found his waistband. Liam palmed Niall’s sides softly, enjoying the feel of his slim hips.

“God, you’re fit,”’ Liam groaned, letting his hands slip under Niall’s shirt. He felt the warm skin previously hidden by cloth, and ran his hands up, exposing more and more skin to the room. Liam drank in the boy standing before him as Niall finished pulling his shirt over his head. Even though it was hard to see, Liam’s hands immediately pressed against Niall’s tight abs, teasing the skin. His fingers found the trail of hair that led from his belly button, disappearing into the pants slung low on his hips. The waistband of Niall’s boxers was visible, and Liam pulled on it, letting it snap back. Niall hissed.

“Get your clothes off.” Niall huffed, working on his belt with uncoordinated fingers. Liam nodded and pulled his shirt off in one clean motion. Niall, glancing up at the sudden movement, froze. “Woah,” He breathed.

Liam stopped too. “What?”

“You’re gorgeous.” Liam felt his cheeks heat up, unsure of how to respond. He started working on his belt, snapping Niall back into action. They both got their belts undone, and Liam pushed his pants and underwear down at the same time, his cock springing free. Niall stepped out of his pants, cheeks bright red, left in only his boxers.

“C’mere,” Liam whispered, sensing Niall’s hesitance. He grabbed Niall’s hand to pull him closer and cupped his cheek, tilting his head up to kiss him softly. Their frantic movements slowed, and Liam felt himself get lost in the feeling of Niall’s lips against his own. Niall’s hands came up to grip Liam’s, still cupping Niall’s jaw.

Liam backed them up to the bed, laid Niall down, and they both shuffled until they were fully on the bed. Niall’s head rested on the pillows as Liam hovered over him, cock hanging heavy between his legs. Liam reached a hand down to palm at Niall’s boxers. The fabric was wet with precome. Niall hooked a hand around the back of Liam’s neck to drag him down into a kiss that quickly became heated. The kiss seemed to spark them into actions, movements becoming frantic again.

Liam hooked his finger in Niall’s boxers, telling him to lift his hips as he pulled them down the boy’s milky thighs. Niall’s breathing was irregular, his chest heaving as Liam pressed kisses into his skin. Liam’s lips travelled further and further down the reddening skin. Niall, unable to help himself, pressed his hips up into open air. Desperately searching for the hand that was previously laid over his cock, Niall whined high in his throat. The noises Niall made had Liam dizzy with arousal. He kissed one of Niall’s hipbones, enjoying the sharp jut of them under his lips.

“Roll over, hips up,” Liam ordered. Niall obliged quickly, shuffling until he was on his hands and knees, bum in the air. Liam had to pause and breath, the sight almost too much for him to handle. “God, you look so good like this.”

“ _Leeyum_ ,” Niall whined. “C’mon.” Liam had never heard his name said like that, but if he kept saying it like that, he knew he’d like to hear Niall say his name many times. He pressed softly on the top of Niall’s spine, coaxing his upper body lower. His ass was in the air, and Liam licked his lips. Niall looked good enough to eat, but that would come later.

“Gonna prep you now, okay?”

“Please.” Niall begged with a wiggle of his hips. Liam huffed out a laugh at that as he moved to his bag for lube and a condom. When he turned back to Niall, he hadn’t moved a muscle.

“So good,” Liam praised as he shuffled back up to Niall. He drizzled lube messily over his fingers, a few drops landing on the sheets. He couldn’t care less as he circled a wet finger around Niall’s puckered hole. Liam pressed a finger in gently, easing Niall open. He heard Niall exhale, body relaxing further into the sheets, relieved to finally get _something_.

“Another.” Niall urged, pressing his hips back. Liam pressed a second finger in along with the first, stretching Niall slowly. Liam’s mind kept flashing back to the sight of Niall on display, and he wanted to get his mouth on him. He withdrew both fingers, making Niall whine. Liam palmed Niall’s ass before pulling his cheeks apart.

“Liam!” Niall squawked. “What are you – Oh!” He jumped in surprise as Liam’s tongue licked a hesitant stripe over his hole, slick with lube.

“This okay?” Liam asked before ducking back down to suck slightly around Niall.

“Hmmm…yeah,” Niall hummed quietly, relaxing into the bed.

Liam pressed his tongue more insistently against Niall then, licking and sucking without warning. He could feel Niall squirming against his face, thighs trembling when he pressed his tongue past the tight ring to taste inside.

“God, you taste amazing,” Liam breathed out before diving back into to lick messily at Niall’s rim.

“ _Leeyum_ ,” Liam moaned at the sound of his name coming from Niall’s lips. “I’m ready. C’mon, I’m ready, please.” Liam backed off, pressing a couple fingers back into Niall for a bit before withdrawing completely. Niall let out a deep breath and rolled over to look at Liam.

“Fuck,” Niall sighed. Liam saw him wrap a hand around himself and was going to chastise Niall until he drew his hand away after a few slow pulls that had his hips pressing up, into his fist. “Just to take the edge off.” He explained breathlessly, arm flopping back onto the bed.

Liam tore open a condom and rolled it onto himself quickly. After slicking his cock with lube, he grabbed Niall’s ankle.

“Come to the edge of the bed?” Liam asked. Niall shuffled himself toward Liam until he could stand on unsteady feet. Liam turned Niall around to face him, pressing a firm kiss to his lips. He turned Niall back around before he pressed Niall’s shoulders, bending him at the waist to lean over the edge of the bed. Liam almost moaned looking at Niall bent over to take his cock. He was glad he was flexible enough for this. If there wasn’t a bed, Niall would probably be able to touch his toes. Liam rested his cock at Niall’s entrance as a warning, and then pressed his hips forward slowly, not stopping until their hips were settled together. Liam groaned and leaned down to press a kiss to Niall’s shoulder.

“You good?” Liam asked. Niall nodded. “Babe, talk to me?”

“Fuck, Liam, move.” Niall practically whimpered, hands clenched at his sides. Liam chuckled and started a slow, deep pace with his hips, pulling out before pushing all the way back in. He held Niall’s hip with one hand to steady him,

It wasn’t long before Liam felt the tug in his gut signaling he was close. He pulled Niall up so they were standing.

“Kneel on the bed,” Liam groaned, pressing forward with his hips to move Niall. He complied easily, quiet as his thighs trembled. As soon as they were settled on the bed, both kneeling, Liam wrapped an arm around Niall to get as his cock.

“Liam,” Niall breathed quickly when Liam’s warm hand wrapped around him. “Yes.” Liam pressed open mouth kisses to the back of Niall’s neck as his hand and hips found a nice rhythm. “Close.”

Liam picked up the pace with his hips, hand matching it, and it was only a few thrusts before Niall was spilling onto the pillow and Liam’s hand. Liam pressed his face into Niall’s neck as he came into the condom with a groan. His hips slowed, until he was knelt, still, behind Niall.

Liam sighed deeply before pulling himself back from Niall. His cock slipped out and he pulled off the condom, tied it, and tossed it into the trash. Niall shuffled to the edge of the bed, pulled his boxers back on, and stood.

“I’ll see you later, yeah?” Niall asked.

“Wait,” Liam said, catching Niall’s arm before he got too far away, eyebrows furrowed. “Where are you going?”

“My room?” Liam wasn’t sure why he was upset about Niall leaving. He had hooked up with plenty of guys in the past, not having a lot of time to set aside for a relationship, but he knew he didn’t want Niall to leave. He didn’t want this to only happen once.

“Stay.” Liam was surprised that it came out. His mouth kept moving, “We can watch a movie, or cuddle, or just sleep.”

“You sure?”

“Stay,” Liam repeated, softer, holding out a hand. Niall took it and let Liam pull him back onto the bed. Before Niall could lay his head on the pillow, Liam stopped him.

“What?” Niall asked, cocking his head.

“You came on that pillow.” Liam chuckled, tossing it to the floor. He handed him a clean pillow, and they both laid down, facing each other. Liam let his eyes wander over Niall, taking in the freckles on his skin, and the slight redness to his skin.

“What?” Even in the dark of the room, Liam could see Niall’s cheeks slowly turning pink.

“Can I kiss you?” Liam found himself asking. Niall nodded, mute, and Liam shuffled closer until he could press his lips softly to Niall’s. He rested a hand on the back of Niall’s head softly, letting the kiss stay lazy. This kiss was different than the ones they shared at the club, and even the ones from minutes earlier. This was sweeter. This felt like _more_. “Sleep well.”

 

***

 

Liam couldn’t help but glance around the arena, searching for a head of blonde hair. He couldn’t get Niall out of his head.  When they both woke up, Liam’s alarm clock blaring loudly in the room, they dressed quickly. They didn’t talk about what happened the night before, moving around each other awkwardly before Liam had to leave. When they left, Niall went back to his room to get ready for his practice. Now, Liam couldn’t stop thinking about talking to Niall about what happened last night. He saw Louis walking up behind him and tilted his head to make it seem like he was popping his neck.

“Hey,” Louis said, sidling up beside him. “How was your night?”

“Good,” Liam said. “Just had a nice lie in and watched a couple movies. You?”

“Good, yeah, good.” Louis’ cheeks turned a nice pink colour under the fluorescent lighting. Liam raised an eyebrow.

“That’s all you have to say?”

“I had sex with Harry,” Louis breathed. “It was great; he’s great.”

“So, I guess you’ll be dragging me to his swim meets, huh?” Liam chuckled.

“Yeah,” Louis said. “Oh, and Niall will be there, too. I know you got on well with him.”

“What do you mean?” Liam asked, keeping his voice even. _He couldn’t know, could he?_

“I saw you two talking at the bar. Harry was his escort; I figured you’d taken him home. Being a gentleman and all, I knew you wouldn’t leave him to walk by himself.”

“Oh, yeah, I did. He’s fun.”

 

It wasn’t long until Liam saw green and white shirts all over the arena. His eyes almost instantly found Niall, running onto the pitch next to a large, brown-haired guy. Niall’s eyes met Liam’s, and his face gradually turned a bright red. Liam smirked at his feet, loving that he could get a reaction out of the blonde. However, he almost regretted it when the Irish team started warmups. Niall positioned himself directly in front of Liam, off the field, while Liam was practicing penalty drills. When the Irish coach blew the whistle, the entire team bent at the waist to touch their toes. Niall’s legs were parted just enough that Liam could see one of his bright blue eyes between his legs. Liam licked his lips. He could imagine Niall in that exact position, bent over at the waist as Liam pressed into him last night.

When it was Liam’s turn to shoot, he missed the goal by several feet, distracted by the curve of Niall’s ass in his white shorts.

After practice ended, Liam made sure to take his time undressing so he would be the last player in the locker room. He sat on the bench in just his shorts and sneakers until the Irish team walked in. He made himself look busy as Niall walked by, making silent eye contact. He saw Niall’s gaze dart down to his exposed chest, and he licked his lips.

Liam watched as, one by one, the Irish players left the locker room. All but one. Liam walked down the rows of lockers until he found the blonde, carefully putting his things in his locker. Walking up behind him quietly, Liam leaned his body against the lockers. When Niall shut his locker door, he jumped.

“Jesus,” Niall breathed.

“No, just Liam.”

“Ha. Funny.” He rolled his eyes. Liam smirked, slowly moving in front of him. Niall backed up half a step, his back pressed against the lockers.

“I’m gonna kiss you,” Liam warned him, just in case he wasn’t interested in a relationship outside the bedroom. All he did was nod, quiet, as Liam took a step forward. He cupped Niall’s jaw in his left hand and stroked his cheek for a second before Liam pressed his body to Niall’s. Liam could feel the heat coming off in waves from Niall’s body. He pressed his lips to Niall’s. As his hand slid to the back of his neck, Liam could feel the sweat there from Niall’s workout.

Niall’s hand came up to hold Liam’s face. Liam knew he hadn’t shaved for a few days, knew his stubble must be scratching Niall’s soft face, but Niall kissed back like Liam’s kisses gave him air. Liam backed up to pull Niall’s shirt off, his following soon after. Liam pushed his shorts down and stepped out of them before moving to turn on the water in the showers. When he turned back around, Niall was naked, back facing Liam, rifling around in his locker, probably for soap.

Liam walked up behind the blonde, noting that Niall was a few inches shorter. He ran his hands over Niall’s hips, feeling the cool skin beneath his touch. Niall shivered. When he turned around and faced Liam, his eyes were bright, and he carefully pushed Liam back into the showers. Liam felt the warm spray hit his back, and blinked his eyes quickly when the water ran over his head, down his face. Niall kept walking until Liam’s back hit the cold wall and kissed him firmly.

When they came up for air, both breathless, Liam didn’t say a word as he sank down to his knees in front of Niall. His hands moved down the pale skin before his eyes, and he took it all in hungrily. He wasn’t able to fully appreciate how fit Niall was in the dark last night, but he was. Obviously, an Olympic athlete would be fit, but Niall was – wow.

Liam pressed kisses to Niall’s stomach, stretching up to reach the skin, and felt Niall’s cock nudge his collarbones. He stifled a laugh into Niall’s skin. Liam knew Niall would be able to feel his smile, but the blonde was silent. He teased Niall, kissing his hips and upper thighs, doing everything he could to ignore Niall’s cock. He sucked on the skin over Niall’s hip until Niall squirmed. He let go and watched the purple blossom. Purple looked good on Niall.

Niall let out the quietest gasp when Liam finally wrapped his lips around the head of Niall’s cock, sucking softly as he leaned forward to take more of him in. His cock, wet from the shower, slid easily into Liam’s mouth. Liam felt a hand rest softly on the top of his head, playing with the longer hair.

It wasn’t too much longer until Niall’s thighs were trembling, breathing harshly through his nose. The locker room door banged open, and Niall shuffled further into the shower, forcing Liam back up as well, but didn’t ask him to stand. Liam wasn’t sure if that was because he didn’t want to be seen with him, or because he was close.

“Niall?” An Irish voice called into the locker room. Niall panted above Liam, and exhaled a deep breath.

“Yeah?” He called back, surprising Liam with how steady his voice sounded.

“Guys were wondering where you went. You still coming out with us tonight?” The voice was closer now. He could probably see Niall, was probably around the corner, beside the showers. Liam peered up at Niall to see what he looked like. His cheeks were pink, but that could easily be because of the hot water spilling down Liam’s shoulders and back.

“Mmm, yeah,” Niall said back. His fingers tightened in Liam’s hair, pulling it slightly. Liam sped up his mouth, and wrapped a hand around himself. He pulled himself in time with the movements of his mouth, and he knew he wouldn’t last long. Liam groaned around Niall, his cock, along with the water masking the sound easily.

“Do you want me to wait?” Liam’s ears perked up at that, not understanding the rush of heat in his stomach at the thought of Niall leaving with this guy.

“What? No, I’m fine.” Niall practically gasped. He was squirming much more now, leaning against the wall beside him for support. Another glance up at Niall let him see the blonde had his eyes shut tight, head under the stream of water. His mouth was open, letting the water collect in his mouth before his harsh breathing forced it out.

“Oh, okay,” Niall’s teammate said. “I’ll –” Niall interrupted whatever he was going to say by cursing.

“Fuck,” Niall said breathlessly, spilling into Liam’s mouth. Liam’s hand worked harder over himself, and he came before the guy could respond, a sense of worry in his voice.

“You okay, mate?”

“Yeah,” Niall panted, wiping off his face as Liam let his cock slip from between his lips. “Stubbed my toe.”

“Ah, okay. Well I’ll see you tonight, yeah?”

“Yeah, mate, see you there.” Niall said, petting Liam’s hair softly.

Liam let the door shut before he stood, knees achy, but feeling satisfied. He stood up and immediately kissed Niall. He could feel the smirk growing on his face as he registered what he just did. Niall pulled away, probably having felt Liam’s mouth twisting.

“Shut up,” Niall muttered, slapping Liam’s arm. He had a smile on his face as he moved to grab his soap, so Liam knew he wasn’t really upset. Niall poured soap into his hand and spread it over his skin, lathering it up. Liam could smell the musky scent of his soap in the air, and he watched as his hands, seemingly of their own accord, spread the soap over Niall’s muscular back. Niall hummed softly. His arms dropped to his sides, and he let Liam work the soap into his skin. He pressed Niall into the stream of water, watching the bubbles go down the drain. When Liam looked back up at Niall, he was watching him with sleepy eyes. He looked adorable, and Liam kissed him.

Niall made a surprised noise, but melted easily into the kiss. It was soft, the gentle press of lips, moving slightly together. He pulled away, laughing when Liam leaned forward to follow his lips.

“Do you want come to the bar with me tonight?” Niall blurted. It was the first thing he’d said to Liam since their initial greeting when Liam told him he was going to kiss him. Liam furrowed his eyebrows.

“Like _with you_ with you?” Liam asked.

“No!” Niall exclaimed. Liam frowned. “Oh, shit sorry.” Niall rubbed a hand over his face. “I’m making an arse of myself.” He said quietly, almost to himself.

Liam, despite the slight offense, huffed out a short laugh.

“Lemme try this again.” Niall said with a sigh. Liam nodded for him to go on. “I can’t be seen with you as my date, but I’d like to see you tonight.”

“Okay,” Liam said slowly, drawing out the two syllables for as long as he could to give him time to think.

“What I’m saying is, you’re fit, and a very nice kisser, but I’d like to hang out with you outside of the bedroom, if that’s okay?”

Liam smiled. “Yeah, that’d be nice.”

“Plus, Harry will be there, so it’s not like you’re coming just for me.” He chuckled as he poured shampoo into his hand and lathered his hair.

“Oh,” Liam said. “I am.” Niall paused, hands tangled in his hair, and glanced at Liam.

“What?”

“I’m definitely coming for you, but I’ll bring Louis so Harry doesn’t feel too left out.” Niall’s cheeks turned a deeper red, and Liam grinned. He pushed Niall softly to get him to rinse out his hair, and he stole Niall’s shampoo for himself.

They finished showering in relative silence, moving to their separate lockers. Liam dressed quickly, hoping to be able to walk with Niall back to the hotel. He shoved all his things into his bag and walked back to Niall’s locker. He paused around the corner when he heard Niall singing again – _You can talk to me it’s more than skin deep, I’m trying_. He was a bit louder than when he was in the ice bath, probably because he thought Liam couldn’t hear him _._ He seemed to be in the middle of a line, because he kept singing – _yeah, since we’re alone, yeah you can show me your heart­_ – his voice was beautiful. And when it was apparent he was done, Liam rounded the corner. Niall’s face turned pink when he spotted Liam. Liam smiled at him, walked up, and kissed him softly. He tangled his fingers through the damp hair at the nape of Niall’s neck, trying to tell him without words that he heard him singing.

Liam gets Niall’s number on the walk to the hotel. “So, I’ll see you later tonight, yeah?” Niall said as he slowed to a stop. He leaned against the wall outside a door, and Liam smiled.

“Yeah, just text me the time and place.” Niall nodded. He scanned his card to open the door, but Liam caught his wrist before he could disappear. With a quick glance up and down the hall, Liam pressed a short but firm kiss to Niall’s lips. He didn’t stay to wait for a reply, instead just walked to the elevator. When he heard the door shut behind him, he let a grin creep onto his face.

 

***

 

**Same place as last time, ten thirty! xx Niall**

 

Liam was still smiling down at the text an hour after Niall sent it as he waited for Louis to get dressed. It was 10:30 now, and Liam didn’t want Niall to think he wasn’t coming, but Louis decided what they had picked out before his shower wasn’t good enough. Liam was dressed and ready to go, opting for a more casual outfit tonight. He had on a grey long-sleeved Henley with the sleeves pushed up, and a pair of jeans that hung off his narrow hips.

Louis finally emerged at 10:45, and Liam quickly herded him out the door and down the street to the bar, eager to talk to Niall.

Liam knew almost immediately after entering that he wasn’t going to be able to talk to Niall like he was hoping. Louis attached himself too Harry’s side two minutes after they walked in, and left with him only thirty minutes later.

“Wanna get out of here?” Liam muttered into Niall’s ear between songs. Niall looked back at Liam and nodded, relief evident in his eyes as he followed Liam out of the bar. They walked quietly beside each other back to the hotel, close enough that the backs of their hands brushed every few steps.

 

Liam led Niall up to his room and opened the door. He let Niall in first, letting the door shut behind them. They stood in silence for a bit, just staring at each other. Liam wanted to kiss Niall, but didn’t want him to think he invited him back here just to hook up again.

“I’m gonna change. Do you wanna borrow something more comfortable?” Liam asked, breaking the silence.

“Sure, thanks,” Niall said, and followed Liam down the hall. Liam pulled off his pants and folded them before pulling out a pair of gym shorts. He pulled them on and turned to Niall.

“Shorts or pants?”

“Mmm…pants.” He tossed Niall a pair of sweatpants and put away his jeans while Niall changed. When Liam looked back at Niall, he couldn’t help but chuckle. The pants almost totally covered his feet, now bare. Niall stuck his tongue out at Liam. He was adorable. Liam wanted to kiss him silly.

“You wanna watch a movie?” Liam asked. Niall nodded, and Liam motioned to the remote, silently offering Niall control of what they watch. He chose _The Dark Knight_ , one of Liam’s favourites, and they settled onto the bed.

“I love this movie,” Liam commented. They hadn’t caught it right at the beginning, but it was only about ten or fifteen minutes into the movie.

“Me too,” Niall’s eyes darted over to Liam, and they both smiled at each other. “One of my favourites.” Liam nodded, shuffling on the bed to pull the covers over both their legs.

They ended up ignoring the movie. Thirty minutes later, they were laying on their sides facing each other, talking. They’d already covered family, Niall gushing over his nephew, and showing Liam countless pictures. Liam, in response, got out his phone to show Niall his puppy.

Almost two hours later, the movie is over, tv having been turned off long ago. The room was dark, and Liam and Niall are still talking, whispered voices soft in the quiet room. Liam subtly inches closer to Niall to rest a hand on Niall’s waist. Niall’s currently talking about his plans before he became a football player.

“I wanted to be a singer,” He confessed into the dark room. Liam’s ears perked up.

“Will I ever get to hear you sing?” Liam asked.

“Maybe.”

“Do you write?” Liam saw the silhouette of his head nod. “What do you write about?”

“Loads of things. Guys, love, myself, anything that comes to mind at the time, really. I’ll be standing in line at the shop and lyrics just form in my head. I remember writing one for Theo the day I met him. Some silly little song about how cute he was, and then another one that night about how badly he needed to sleep. It made him laugh, and I’ll never forget the silly little smile on his face.”

“Do you think you’ll ever release any?”

“I’ve cowritten with a buddy of mine Ed Sheeran.”

“You know _Ed Sheeran_?!” Liam asked in disbelief.

“Yeah.” Niall chuckled. “He’s known me for ages, and he came to me with the idea for a song, and we sat down and wrote it together. It’s huge now, and every time I hear it on the radio, I can’t believe I helped write it.”

“What song is it? Maybe I know it.”

“Um, it’s called _Slow Hands_. Ed sings it.”

“Holy shit! Yeah, I know it. You helped write that?”

Niall nodded, and Liam could almost feel the waves of embarrassment coming off him. Deciding to give him a break, Liam brought the focus of the conversation back too himself, telling Niall stories about his dog.

Later, as they settled in to go to sleep, Liam’s chest ached with how sweet this boy was. He shuffled closer to Niall to wrap an arm around him. Niall hummed and let himself be pulled into Liam’s chest. His fingers ghosted over Niall’s face, finding his hairline first and tracing down the side of his face to his cheekbones. He felt Niall’s jaw, traced over his lips, and then kissed him. Niall sighed.

 

When Liam woke up, it was still dark outside, but he was sweating. Rolling over, he figured out why. There was another person in his bed. He had half a mind to pull off his shirt and push down his shorts before he rolled to face Niall and carefully pulled him back into his body.

 

***

 

The remainder of their allotted two weeks’ training flies by quickly. Liam and Niall see each other every day, whether it was at the track, locker room, or Harry’s practices. Liam must admit, Harry is good. Watching him take a flying leap off the starting block is almost as riveting as the actual swimming. Liam is excited to watch a match. Harry’s best stroke is definitely the butterfly, but his freestyle is a close second.

They see each other a lot outside of their respective teams training times, though. Niall’s provided room stays empty since he spends most of their mutual free time in Liam’s room.

 

Liam, Louis, and Harry went to Niall’s first match. Zayn was also competing, so he couldn’t make it. Only a few days before England steps onto the field, Liam was ready to play. He watched the opposing team, Columbia, walk onto the field. Their bright yellow uniforms stood out against Ireland’s green and white uniforms. Liam, from his vantage point in the stands, spotted Niall almost instantly. They had scored pretty good seats, only a few rows away from one of the goals.

Liam spaced out as the pregame stuff happens, keeping his eye on the blonde across the field. Liam wished they could’ve gotten seats on the other side of the field, so he could maybe give Niall a few encouraging words, but it didn’t happen.

Niall seemed a bit nervous, shuffling from foot to foot on the sideline, waiting for the game to start. Liam’s heart ached for him, knowing he’ll be feeling the exact same way in a few days.

As the two teams take the field, the crowd roared with applause and cheer. They tossed the coin. Ireland is playing towards the opposite goal for the first half. That means the second half, Ireland will be playing towards the end of the field where Liam sat. Liam watched Niall’s nerves melt away. He stood tall as two opponents pass the ball, and the game starts.

There was an initial fighting over the ball before Columbia got possession and dribbled it down the field toward Ireland’s goal. One of the Irish defenders executed an impressive slide tackle to steal the ball and kick it over the heads of the players to a forward. Liam watched it bounce off the player’s chest before falling to the ground. He immediately started running with the ball, down the field, to pass it off to a teammate.

Liam tried to focus on the whole game but finds himself watching Niall a majority of the time. Ireland mostly keeps possession of the ball for the first few minutes, passing the ball around the Columbian team easily. Niall had the ball, and Liam get distracted by the fluid way Niall ran. He lost focus on the game until the anticipation started to rise. Liam looked up.

It only took Ireland about five minutes to score the first goal. Half of the arena, all dressed in green, erupts into loud, earsplitting cheers. Liam could see the grin on Niall’s face and felt his own mirroring it. Niall had assisted in the goal, running the ball up the field to pass it off to another player that kicked it neatly into the upper left pocket of the net.

The Irish team all jogged down to the other end of the field to wait for the return kick, and then the game starts again. Liam rarely watches footie matches, preferring to play. He never realised just how much running the players did until he watched Niall, practically dripping sweat, pelt past the stands with the ball towards the Columbian end about twenty minutes into the second half.

A Columbian player, approaching the goal quickly, pulled ahead of the Irish defenders. Almost immediately, a whistle was blown, and the Irish fans cheered.

“Off sides!” Louis screeched to Liam, who nodded. The Irish team got to start the play now, with a hard kick to pass the ball downfield to Niall.

Liam saw Niall take the ball down the field, moving quickly. Liam brought his hand to his mouth to chew on a fingernail as he watched a Columbian player draw close to mark the blonde in front of him. Liam desperately wanted to call “man on,” but knew Niall wouldn’t be able to hear him. Niall thankfully noticed the player behind him and kicked it to a teammate to move around the Columbian and closer to the goal. As his teammate passed the ball back to Niall, he shuffled his feet to get ready to kick. Niall pulled his foot back and the Columbian surged forward, pushing his shoulders and knocking Niall over. Liam stood on his toes as the people around him all got to their feet. Niall rolled over onto his stomach and pushed himself up. He walked up to the player that had shoved him, and Liam could tell by the look on Niall’s face he wasn’t happy.

Niall stalked over to the Columbian player who had shoved him, getting right up in his face. His eyes were blazing, hands balled tightly into fists. Liam had a brief thought of Niall punching the guy, but he didn’t. Niall knew better than to get physical. Any violence would result in an immediate red card.

No one on the field seemed to be paying attention to the two men, but Liam couldn’t pull his eyes away, oddly turned on by the more dominant side of Niall. It made Liam want to see what Niall would do to him behind closed doors. Wanted to see that look in Niall’s eyes closer, pupils dilated.

Liam’s breath caught in his throat when Niall and the Columbian player didn’t back down. After glancing at the name emblazoned on guy’s jersey, Liam noted it was Gutierrez who was squaring off with the blonde. His heart was pounding in his chest, worried that Niall was going to start throwing punches. Any kind of unsportsmanlike contact would get Niall an immediate red card.

Even from here, Liam could tell Niall used a few choice words. Gutierrez retaliated to Niall’s slurs by grabbing a handful of the blonde’s jersey. Niall was visibly smaller than Gutierrez. The Columbian probably had at least fifteen kilos on the blonde, but Niall didn’t seem the least bit scared. His eyebrows were set in a hard line as he shoved the taller man away. Two refs ran over and broke up the fight, allowing Liam to breathe a soft sigh of relief. The ref called Niall and Gutierrez over and held up a red card for Gutierrez, which removed him from the game, and a yellow card for Niall. Niall’s face twitched, and Liam knew he was dying to argue, but he held his tongue. Niall’s chest was heaving as he stalked to the other end of the field to take his penalty kick.

Niall got the penalty kick, making the game 2-0 with thirty minutes left in the second half. They end up winning, and Niall catches Liam’s eyes as the Ireland team runs around the field in victory, hugging and high-fiving each other.

 

***

 

“Congrats,” Liam murmured into Niall’s ear. Niall turned around to greet Liam with a grin on his face, cheeks pink from alcohol. The Ireland team had taken over the hotel bar, drunken shouts scaring off any other Olympians wanting a drink.

“Thanks, babe.” Liam saw something flash across Niall’s face, probably from the term, but Liam doesn’t mind. He liked the way it fell from Niall’s lips.

“Celebrating?” Liam chuckled, nodding at the pint in Niall’s hand.

“A bit. I’m just tipsy. Not too interested in a hangover tomorrow.” Liam nodded, and they fell quiet. Liam glanced around at the other players, evident by their builds: lean, but muscular. They were all whooping and hollering, celebrating their win. “What’d you think of the game?”

“It was…” Liam trailed off, looking for a word to describe how he felt watching Niall play. “Intense.” He finally settled for. Niall chuckled.

“Intense?” Liam didn’t want to explain how worried he was when he saw Niall so ready to fight with Gutierrez. He didn’t really want to admit to himself what that meant either, so he decided to focus on the other part of that moment.

“I don’t think you understand how hot it was to see you standing up to that guy.” Niall’s eyebrows raised slightly, and he smirked. Liam took a deep breath and, after a quick glance around to make sure no one was paying attention to them, pulled Niall out of the bar. He pressed a gentle, but insistent, hand against the small of Niall’s back to guide him to the elevator. Once the doors were closed, Liam backed him up against the wall and kissed him hard, his hands clutching the railing on either side of Niall. The blonde was trapped between Liam’s arms, but didn’t seem to be complaining. Niall’s hands clutched at Liam’s upper arms as they kissed. Liam pulled away enough to press his floor number before ducking down to press kisses to Niall’s neck.

“Fuck, Liam,” Niall groaned. Liam felt Niall’s hands, warm from the alcohol, against the skin of his lower back. The elevator dings, signaling that they’re on Liam’s floor, and they pull apart as the doors open.

They’re naked within seconds of entering Liam’s bedroom, falling onto the bed and softly laughing at each other. Liam kissed him, the movements of Niall’s mouth familiar against his own. Liam threw the pillows to the ground. He pins Niall under him, allowing himself to get lost in the feeling of the blonde’s mouth against his own.

 

***

 

The locker room was alive with nervous energy as the English team changed into their uniforms. Their first game starts in just a few short minutes, and Liam could feel that his teammates were ready to play. The next thirty minutes or so were a blur as the team walked onto the field. Liam squinted against the bright stadium lights in his eyes. He knew Niall, Harry, and Zayn were out in the stands somewhere, and instead of it making him nervous like he thought, he felt at ease knowing the blonde was watching him. Each team took their places on the field. The whistle blew, and the game began with a burst of energy.

 

Thirty minutes into the game and the score was still 0-0. Liam glanced at his watch, knowing they only had fifteen minutes left of the first half to score. He ran up to mark a player, his red, Danish jersey standing out in the sea of navy blue English players around him. After a small scuffle, Liam ended up with the ball and started to run it down the field towards the goal. Not even to the midfield line, he didn’t see the Danish player running up beside him until it was too late. One second, there was a ball in front of him, the next he was on the ground, watching the Danish player sprint down the field. His slide tackle was legal, though, he had control of the ball when Liam tripped over his leg. Liam jumped to his feet and ran down to the other end of the field in time to see Denmark score a goal. Three minutes later, the first half ended, and each team left to go back to their locker rooms.

Liam sat with his head in his hands the entire time the coach talked to them. He downed some kind of fruity sports drink that was put in his hands, and before he knew it, they were walking back onto the field. Liam forced himself to shake off whatever happened in the first half. They still had 45 minutes left to win this thing.

 

“To Liam!” Henderson, the captain, cheered.

“To Liam!” The team echoed back.

After shaking off the bad vibes from the first half, Liam had pelted down the sideline and, thanks to an assist by Kane, had scored their first goal to tie the game. With only two minutes left in the game, he had assisted in their second goal, gaining their first win.

Liam raised his glass with a large grin, nodding his head at Kane. They had been here for over an hour already. Everyone wanted to buy him a round to celebrate, but he was already drunk.

Liam found himself wandering around the bar shortly after. Unsurprisingly, he bumped into Niall. He seemed to love this bar, so it’s not a surprise that Liam would find him here.

“Hey,” Niall slurred, swaying slightly. He lost his balance, falling into Liam. Liam caught him easily, stumbling a bit himself. “You played a great game. I see you’re the man of the hour.”

“Oh, been watching me, have you?” Liam teased. Niall nodded wordlessly, and his gaze darted down to Liam’s mouth. Even in his current state, Liam knew he couldn’t push Niall up against a booth and snog him. He couldn’t think of the reason, but he knew there was one.

“Wanna go back to mine?” Liam asked.

“Yeah,” Niall breathed. “Gotta piss first.” Liam nodded, and went to settle his bar tab. After he was done, he took a quick glance around the bar, searching for Niall. He spotted the blonde hair easily. He was standing next to the bathrooms. Liam wasn’t sure if he was on his way to the bathroom, or coming back from, but Liam moved to walk towards him. He noticed a slim girl standing in front of Niall. They were talking, Niall laughing loudly at something she said. Liam fought the jealousy rising in his gut, knowing he was being irrational. However, when he watched Niall’s lips meet hers, he stormed away.

He doesn’t need Niall. He’ll find someone else to sleep with tonight, too. From his place at the bar, it didn’t take him long to spot a group of girls. He eyed a dark-skinned brunette with curly hair and walked over.

“Hey, babe,” Liam greeted. “Wanna dance?” She nodded, and Liam took her hand. They danced for about half a song before Liam turned her around to kiss her. His lips met hers clumsily. Liam, so used to the way Niall kissed, bumped his nose against hers. He pulled back to try again, and their teeth clicked.

In a moment of clarity, he pushed her away. She wasn’t what he wanted. What he wanted was blue eyes and blonde hair. He wanted a strong Irish accent and many more nights of movies in bed. The thought of endless movie nights with Niall made Liam’s breath catch in his throat.

“I have to go,” Liam said, before hurrying out onto the street. He stumbled all the way back to his room and collapsed on the bed. All he could do was pull off his clothes before he passed out.

 

***

 

When Liam woke up the next morning, his phone was buzzing loudly by his ear. He turned off his alarm and winced at the taste in his mouth, regretting his decision to skip brushing his teeth. Immediately after he got up, he walked into the bathroom and relieved himself. He washed his hands and splashed cold water on his face. Hands still over his face, he remembered what happened last night. Niall kissed someone else. A _girl_. After he made plans to come back to the hotel with Liam. Liam had kissed a girl to get his mind off Niall, but instead came to the realisation that he cared more about Niall than he’d originally thought. He wanted a proper relationship. One with anniversaries and inside jokes and lots of movie nights.

He sighed. Niall obviously didn’t want that.

 

Louis could tell right away that Liam was in a bad mood. He stayed quiet on their walk to the arena. Liam hadn’t even thought about what he’d do if he saw Niall, but he was hoping he wouldn’t.

Liam didn’t have very good luck.

A few of the Irish players were in the arena, running laps and lifting weights. Of _course_ Niall was there. Liam almost instantly spotted him at the bench press with a dark-haired player Liam didn’t recognise. Liam averted his gaze, deciding to ignore Niall. Liam knew that Niall wouldn’t just leave his partner in the middle of working out.

Liam loved the mind-numbing laps that the coach was making them do. He’d been hoping for some time to think, and running was the perfect opportunity. He plugged in his earbuds and turned up his music, letting Louis know he wasn’t in the mood to talk. They still ran side-by-side, though.

Liam wasn’t sure how long they had been running for, but his breathing was harsh, and he was covered in sweat. His shirt was sticking to him, and he was dying to take it off, but he figured they were close to being done. He was wrong.

Liam pulled his shirt off sometime during the scrimmage. They played a twenty-minute game, then sat and talked about their strengths and weakness. Liam, having been checked out most of the morning, wasn’t paying attention. When everyone started to get up, he followed the crowd into the locker room. He stopped Louis, mumbling that he was going to shower at the hotel. He paused long enough for Louis to nod that he heard, before he pushed his way into the locker room.

He was surprised to find Niall sitting on the bench near his locker. Liam didn’t make eye contact as he gathered his things and shoved them into his bag. Niall moved to stand next to Liam as he grabbed his last few things. Niall opened his mouth to say something.

“I’ve gotta go,” Liam grumbled, slipping past Niall before he could even say a word. Liam stormed out of the locker room, fuming the entire way to the hotel.

He was glad for a bit of alone time when he got to his room. He put on some chill music and got in the shower, trying not to think about anything as he washed the sweat and dirt from his body. When he was done, he quickly dried himself off and got back in bed. He turned on a movie, and settled under the covers.

 

Knocking woke Liam up. He wasn’t sure when he had fallen asleep, but the sun was going down, so he knew it’d been a few hours. Figuring it was Louis wanting to go get an early dinner, he went to open the door. Liam figured he’d tell him he was going to get something delivered rater than go out in public. He pulled the door open and frowned when he was instead met with blonde hair. Liam huffs, but doesn’t slam the door in Niall’s face, which he thinks he deserves points for. Niall stared at Liam for a bit, and, when its apparent Liam isn’t going to invite him in, he slips past him, into the room.

“Hey, Li,” Niall said, voice uncertain. Liam raised his eyebrows, but doesn’t respond. When Niall moved closer, maybe for a hug or just to be close, Liam backs up and moves into the kitchen. He hears Niall’s footsteps following him. “How was your day?” Niall asked as Liam took out a bottle of water from the fridge.

“Fine,” Liam said, voice even.

“Your coach sure drilled you hard, didn’t he?” Niall chuckled. Liam didn’t respond, instead focusing on opening his water.

“Okay, what the fuck is your problem?” Niall asked, voice low and assertive as he fully walks into the room. The change in his voice is startling, but Liam doesn’t react. He looks at Niall blankly, considers lying and saying nothing so he’ll leave, but he doesn’t. Instead, he tells Niall the truth.

“I _like_ you, that’s my problem,” Liam practically spits back.

“Wha – Why’s that a problem? I like you too,” Niall said, voice considerably softer.

“Because you kissed that girl last night.” Niall frowned, but Liam watches his eyes widen with recognition.

“Liam, she was drunk.” Liam opened his mouth to retort, but Niall cut him off. “She was drunk, and she was a fan, excited to meet me. She kissed me. And then she apologised and congratulated me on my win. That’s it. We talked for a bit longer about football, and then I walked away. When I went looking for you after, someone said you had left.” He was talking fast, trying to get everything out before Liam cut him off or interrupted him, but Liam was silent. “Liam, please say something.”

A giant misunderstanding. That’s what this was. If Liam had simply stayed and talked about this with Niall last night, he wouldn’t have been miserable all day. But how was he supposed to know better? They hadn’t exactly talked about this before, much less put a label on it. “Liam?” Niall’s voice, small and unsure, broke him out of his thoughts.

“Will you be my boyfriend?” Liam blurted out, surprising himself. Niall paused, but leans up to kiss Liam instead of answering. Liam thinks that’s an okay trade.

 

The next few days pass in a blur. Liam has a week to prepare for his next game, but Niall plays again on Friday. Even before they were officially boyfriends, Liam knew he’d be going to the game. When they aren’t at practice or with Louis and Harry, they’re typically in Liam’s room. They had one close call Wednesday morning. Niall had slept in Liam’s room, and when they left the next morning for practice, Harry was walking ahead of them. He heard Liam’s door shut and turned around.

 

“Hey, guys.” Harry stopped walking to let them catch up, and fell in step beside Liam.

“Morning, Harry,” Liam said, hearting beating heavy in his chest. He wasn’t sure why they were keeping their relationship a secret, but he’s kind of glad they don’t have to share it with anybody yet. Liam likes it just being him and Niall for right now. However, it means he has to lie to his friends, which he doesn’t like.

“On your way to practice?” They both nod. “Niall, I didn’t know your room was on this floor. I haven’t seen you before.”

“Oh, I don’t. I’m a few floors down, but Liam borrowed my phone charger, and I was getting it back. I figured I’d hang out a few minutes and we could walk together.” Niall shrugged. Liam was impressed. He’d never been good at lying, but Niall pulled a convincing story out of nowhere. They made brief eye contact as Harry pressed the button for the elevator. Liam shot him a small smile.

 

The day of Niall’s second game, Friday, was a busy practice day for Liam. It was the mid-point in the week between games for England, so their coach had decided that they needed to run countless drills. Liam didn’t know why coach decided _today_ that he was going to allow for an afternoon practice, but it had Liam on edge, worried he was going to miss the start of Niall’s game.

“Mate, what’s your problem?” Louis asked after Liam checked his watch for the seventh time that hour.

“Ireland and Nigeria kick off in ninety minutes. I don’t want to miss it,” Liam said, not even bothering to hide the nervous tone in his voice.

“Relax. Coach said we only have two more drills.” Liam breathed out a deep sigh and nodded. Liam must have missed that.

After running penalty kicks for a while, they moved on to scrimmage. A twenty-minute scrimmage was all that stood in the way of his leaving. That, and a shower. He didn’t want to show up to the game disgusting.

When the coach blew the whistle, Liam almost collapsed with relief. He had almost forty-five minutes to shower and get to the game. Louis chuckled as he nearly sprinted to the locker room, but was right behind him. Liam knew he was excited to finally see Harry. They hadn’t been able to meet up the past couple days because of their training schedules. Liam could recommend that they both sleep in the same room, but he might have to explain where he got the idea, and he didn’t want to make his day any more stressful.

 

After one of the quickest showers of his life, Liam pulled fresh clothes on and sat, leg shaking, to wait for Louis. They both walked quickly over to the field, hoping Harry was able to save them some seats. He had texted Louis several times when they hadn’t been there, but they found him easily. He had snagged seats next to a goal again, but this time they were in the first row.

Since they got to the field kind of late, they didn’t have to wait too long before both teams were on the field, warming up. Liam couldn’t help but watch Niall. He got this look on his face when he played, and Liam knew he was totally focused on the game.

Liam wasn’t sure how it was figured out, but since both teams typically wore green, Ireland had on their second uniforms. They typically played in green shirts and white shorts, but instead they were dressed on all white, even their socks. The Nigerian team, however, was dressed in full green.

He was very graceful when he ran. His powerful legs could move him up and down the field. Liam knew from his own endurance, Niall wouldn’t even be feeling tired, even after forty hard minutes of playing. Ireland was behind 1-2, but there was still an entire second half to be played.

 

All Liam could think about while Niall was off the field for halftime was sneaking out to go see him, but he had no way to contact Niall until after the game was over. Harry had Niall’s phone. He had only seen Niall briefly the day before, and they had decided to sleep in their own rooms since Niall had an early practice before their game and Liam’s was later.

It felt weird having not seen the blonde since the day before. As embarrassing as it was, he missed his boyfriend. He was ready for a chill night in with Niall. He would easily be able to convince Niall to stay in his room since they both had a day off tomorrow. They might watch a movie in bed or just lay and talk until they fell asleep.

Liam, having sat down for the break, almost missed the teams coming back onto the field he was so lost in thought. He stood up and cheered with Harry and Louis as the Irish team ran back onto the field. He saw Niall’s bright teeth reflecting the stadium lights, and felt the smile on his face push up a bit more. Niall was in his element. It was easy to see that he loved the game. Niall took up his position on the field, almost vibrating with energy.

Since they switched goals after the first half, Liam, Harry, and Louis were now seated by Ireland’s goal. He had a good view of Niall from here, but as soon as he got possession of the ball, he was sprinting down to the other end of the field.

Liam watched as he effortlessly passed the ball to the same dark-haired guy Liam saw him working out with a few days ago. They were a good team, running the ball almost the entire way down the field without a problem. Niall’s teammate had a short scuffle with a Nigerian player, but eventually came out with the ball, and sunk the ball in the bottom left pocket. Liam cheered loudly with the Irish supporters, wide grin on his face as he watched Niall run down the field to high-five his teammates. After that goal both teams were now tied, 2-2.

The game slowed down after that, each team having equal possession of the ball. They each had a few attempts at goals, but they were either to high or too wide. Liam was getting antsy, waiting for the game to be over. All he could think of was Niall cuddling into his side after a shower, soap scent fresh on his skin.

With only seven minutes left in the game, Liam watched as Niall sprinted down the field. His feet were moving fast as he dribbled the ball easily. When his teammate called out a warning about the Nigerian closing in, he easily passed the ball. He edged closer to the goal and, when he moved away from the opponent marking him, the ball is passed back to Niall. Liam watched, on his feet, as Niall’s foot came back. With a strong kick, the ball flew into the goal, only just above the goalie’s fingers. Liam watched as the goalie hit the ground and punched it, mad he let it get past his hands. Now, Ireland was in the lead 3-2.

Niall joined his teammates on Liam’s end of the field, waiting for the return. The ball flew through the air as the Nigerian team ran towards them. An Irish player gained control of the ball and was immediately swarmed by Nigerians. Liam thought he heard Niall’s call that he’s open, and then Niall had the ball.

Two of the Nigerian players were on Niall, and all Liam could see was green and white socks fighting over the ball. They were steadily moving closer to the goal, meaning Nigeria had a chance to score. He saw a green sock kick the ball about a meter away and, as they all move with it, Niall fell. At the same time, one of the Nigerian players swung back a leg and kicked hard, aiming to score.

Liam stood on his seat as soon as Niall hit the ground, so he could see, with disturbing clarity, when the Nigerian’s cleat hit Niall. Niall pulled his legs to his chest, and Liam saw his face twisted with pain. Niall’s mouth was open, teeth gritted, and his arms clutched his abdomen. Liam could feel his heart beating in his chest, but all the noise in the stadium disappeared as he waited for Niall to move again. He felt a rush of relief as the blonde rolled onto his other side. It was short lived though, because he _didn’t get up_. Liam couldn’t see Niall’s face anymore, and he felt time start to slow down.

The game stopped when it was apparent that Niall wasn’t getting up. Several people, one with a med kit, ran out onto the field to Niall. Liam had to look at the scoreboard to see what was happening, the screen playing the broadcast. Niall’s face was red, and Liam knew he must be in serious pain after that kick. Soccer players have strong legs.

One of the people crowded around Niall motioned off the field and Liam saw a few people running over with a stretcher. Liam’s heart started pounding. He felt sick. It took a few minutes for them to get Niall on the board. Liam could see his face scrunched in pain as he straightened his legs. They carried Niall off the field and, as soon as they entered the tunnel, they were out of sight.

The game restarted like nothing happened.

Liam sat down, head in his hands, for about one minute before he decided.

“Going to the loo,” He muttered to Harry, who was beside him. Harry gave him a quick nod and turned back to the game. Liam stomach churned as he took the stairs two at a time. He had no clue where he was going, but as soon as he found a set of stairs, he went down them.

Once he found himself in a maze of hallways, he knew he in the right place. Setting off at a jog, he started searching for his boyfriend. It took him a few minutes, but he heard voices coming from a hallway and crept down it. He didn’t know what would happen if someone caught him down here, but he could just say he was lost.

A man walked out of a room towards Liam. Liam straightened his back and fixed his pace, making it look like he knows where he’s going. The man passed Liam without a word. Liam glanced in the room as he passed and froze when he saw Niall laying on a bed. It wasn’t a comfortable looking bed. It looked more like the kind you’d find at a doctor’s office, but Niall was laid out on it.

When Liam got close enough to see his face, he noticed Niall’s eyes were closed. His breathing was shallow, which let Liam know he was awake.

“Babe,” Liam sighed, still hovering in the doorway, and Niall’s eyes shot open. He turned his head to look at Liam, and he noticed Niall’s eyes were bright.

“Liam.” Niall’s voice broke, and Liam moved to kiss his head. He wanted to tell Niall that he could cry, but he knew Niall wouldn’t. Not until he was alone.

“Have they told you anything?”

“They took some X-Rays, but I’m waiting to hear back. Fuck, it hurts.” Niall let out a soft chuckle, then groaned.

“How bad does it hurt?”

“Feels like I got kicked in the chest.” Liam could tell he was in pain, but he was making jokes to hide it. Niall’s eyes were bright, and Liam could see them watering, but he didn’t mention it. Liam ran his fingers through Niall’s hair and leaned down to kiss him.

“You scared me.” Liam admitted.

“I did?”

“We were sat right at the front. I saw everything. He didn’t even get penalised.”

“It was an accident, Li,” Niall said softly. Liam took his hand and squeezed it.

“I know, but you got hurt,” Liam argued. Niall smiled weakly at him. Liam’s heart ached.

“How’d you find me? Is the game over? Did we win?” Niall asked.

“I left almost as soon as they carried you off the field. I don’t know about the score, but you shouldn’t be worrying about that right now.”

“Who’s this?” A deep voice asked behind Liam. Niall immediately dropped his hand, and Liam turned around.

“Coach Connell, this is Liam. He plays for England.” Niall introduced. Liam leaned forward to shake his hand. “He’s gonna call my ride for me. I don’t have my phone.” Once again, Liam was stunned at how smooth Niall could think up a lie.

“I’ve got some good news and some bad news.” The coach said. Niall let out a breath and nodded. “Good news is, nothing is broken. You have a fractured rib, which is remarkable considering how hard he kicked you.”

“What’s the bad news?” Niall asked.

“A fractured rib means limited activity for at least a week.”

“What? You mean I can’t play?!”

“No, you can’t.”

“What? You can’t be serious.” Niall asked, voice angry.

“ _You_ can’t be serious,” The coach countered. “Horan, you have a fractured rib. I’d be surprised if you could sit up without help right now.”

“I’m –” He held up a hand, cutting Niall off.

“Niall, we won.” Niall’s eye lit up.

“We did?” Coach Connell nodded.

“Do you know what that means?” Niall shook his head. “It means we are officially in the gold medal match. We don’t know who we’re playing yet, but we’re in.”

“Oh my god,” Niall breathed. Liam was dying to hug Niall, congratulate him, but he was nothing but a friend right now, or more realistically, competition, jealous that Ireland got into the gold medal finals.

“Horan, the match is on the 26th. That’s two weeks from tomorrow. If you are cleared to play before then, I’ll put you in, but you are on strict bed rest for at least a week. After that, you start with _easy_ workouts. No weights.” Niall nodded, grin on his face, and the coach nodded and walked out. Once it was clear he wasn’t coming back, Liam leaned over and kissed Niall.

“Congrats, babe,” Liam said.

“Oh my god, Li, we’re in the finals!” Niall grinned up from his position on the bed. “Now, help me get up so we can get out of here.” Liam chuckled, but helped Niall carefully get up. With only a bit of groaning, Niall was sitting up. Liam couldn’t help but kiss him again, soft and careful.

“I’m really glad you’re okay.” Liam’s voice, like his kiss, was soft. Niall looked up at Liam, eyebrows furrowed.

“Are you okay?” Niall asked. He wasn’t okay; he honestly wanted to cry with relief, but Niall needed him right now, and he’d have to keep it together. However, he wasn’t going to lie.

“I was terrified when I saw you fall. Even more when I saw that guy’s cleat hit you. And when you didn’t move–” Liam’s breath shuddered, and he felt a lump form in his throat.

“Hey, I’m okay. I may not be 100% right now, but I’ll be fine. I can totally come back from this, no problem. Don’t worry, okay?”

“I have to worry.”

“Why?”

“I’m your boyfriend. It’s my job to worry about you.” Niall rolled his eyes, but he had a small smile on his face.

“That was really cheesy.”

“I know. Now, can we get out of here?” Niall nodded. With Liam’s help, and a strong, but gentle, supportive arm, they made their way slowly outside.

When they left the side door, they were bombarded. Lights were flashing everywhere, and Liam had a brief thought of ‘they’ll know we’re together’ before he thought that he looks like a friend. Right? Friends would help friends after they got hurt.

“Niall, what happened?”

“Niall, who’s this?”

“Are you and Niall an item?”

“Niall, will you be able to play in the final match?” Niall resolutely ignored all the questions, making his way to the shuttle provided by the hotel. Liam was grateful for the shuttle. He knew Niall was hurting by the way his breathing had gotten heavy and sharp again, and Liam didn’t want him to have to walk all the way back to the hotel.

After Liam got Niall settled in the front seat, he climbed in behind him. It was a short drive, but Liam wedged a hand in between Niall’s chair and the door to rub his arm. He couldn’t understand his need to _touch_ Niall all the time. Whenever he saw Niall, all he could think of was holding his hand or hugging or kissing him. Even just rubbing his thumb over his jaw or on his arm would satisfy him. He just needed to touch him.

When they got to the hotel, Liam jokingly offered Niall a wheelchair. However, from how tired Niall looked, Liam almost took away his choice, but Niall shook his head before he could say anything. Liam hooked an arm around Niall’s waist again, careful of his ribs, and helped him step out of the van. With small, slow steps, they made their way to the elevator. Upon seeing them, the small group waiting by the elevator allowed them to go first, waiting for the next one. Liam thanked them quietly as they moved into the elevator.

Niall let go of Liam to lean against the wall, using the bar to steady himself as Liam pressed his floor number.

“I’m not going to my room?” Niall asked.

“No,” Liam said. “I’m not leaving you by yourself when you’re hurt. You’re staying with me.” Niall’s face softened, and he reached out an arm with a slight wince to get Liam to walk over to him. Niall wrapped both arms around Liam’s waist and hugged him softly.

“You are the best boyfriend.” Niall said softly. Liam cupped his hands around the back of Niall’s neck and pressed a kiss to his forehead, letting his lips rest there. He fought the urge to say something stupid like “you’re my soulmate” or “I’d do anything for you” or, God forbid, “I love you.” He knew it was much too early to say those words, but it’s how he felt. After seeing Niall go down on the field and his reaction of blind panic until he saw the blonde, he had a hunch that it was where he was going. “Liam?” Niall’s voice startled him, and he shook his head and looked down at his boyfriend.

“Yeah?”

“We’re on your floor. Gonna help me walk or not?” His voice was light, but his eyebrows were furrowed slightly. Liam knew he wanted to ask, but was grateful that he didn’t. Liam nodded and moved to support some of Niall’s weight as they walked down the hall to Liam’s room.

Liam opened the door and guided Niall in. Once they got down the hall, Niall got settled on the bed. Liam grabbed the tv remote and gave it to Niall before pressing a kiss to his forehead.

“I’m gonna grab a glass of water. You want anything?”

“I’ll have a water too,” Niall said with a smile directed at Liam. He nodded and left the room. Liam puttered around the kitchen for a bit. Noticing the darkening sky, he figured he’d need to either make something or grab something to eat for him and Niall. He filled up two glasses of water and, as an afterthought, decided he’d grab Niall some paracetamol from his bag when he went back.

When Liam entered the bedroom, Niall was supporting himself against the wall by the bathroom.

“Niall!” Liam exclaimed. “You’re supposed to be resting!”

“Have to piss,” Niall said through gritted teeth.

“C’mon,” Liam said. He wrapped an arm around his boyfriend, but Niall didn’t move or lean any weight onto him.

“Liam, I can go to the bathroom by myself,” Niall’s face was a bright red, and Liam sighed. He was embarrassed. Liam let go of Niall and took his face in his hands. He pressed a firm kiss against Niall’s lips. Niall made a surprised noise, but eventually melted into the kiss.

“I still think you’re undeniably sexy,” Liam said. Before Niall could interrupt, he continued. “You’re hurt, and you are here so I can take care of you. If that means washing your hair or helping you pee, I will. I’m not gonna be turned off by it, or think anything differently. You’re injured, and you’re my boyfriend. Please, let me help.” Niall nodded, and leaned against Liam when he wrapped his arm around him again.

 

When Niall was settled in bed comfortably, Liam asked. “Do you want anything to eat?”

“Just remembered I haven’t eaten. Yeah, babe, that’d be great.”

“Okay, I’ll grab us something,” Liam said. He pressed a kiss to Niall’s lips before he grabbed his things. “ _Don’t move_.” He said sharply. Niall held up a hand like a surrender, and Liam left.

Liam wandered around outside the hotel for a few minutes before he spotted a nice sandwich shop down the street. He walked down to the shop and pushed the door open. It made a happy ringing sound as he opened the door, and he smiled to himself. He grabbed a menu and looked over it for a minute before he realised he had no idea what Niall liked.

Liam ended up getting them the same thing, turkey sandwich with everything but tomatoes. He asked for it to-go, and walked quickly back to the hotel with the food. His stomach started to growl as the smell hit his nose in the elevator. He hadn’t eaten since before his practice earlier this afternoon, and it was probably nearing ten by now.

He scanned his card to enter the room, and found Niall in bed where he left him. Liam frowned.

“You weren’t wearing that shirt when I left.” He accused.

“Oh, I had to get the sweat off. I smelled gross and didn’t want to stink up your bed. Stole your clothes, hope you don’t mind,” He grinned sheepishly.

“ _Niall_ ,” Liam sighed.

“What?”

“You are supposed to be _resting_!”

“I am resting! See? Currently in bed! I even took a bath, so I could sit down.” Liam scrubbed a hand over his face, but dropped it, handing Niall his sandwich. “Thanks.”

 

When they were done, Liam went to throw their trash out. He was exhausted, worn out from this long day. He desperately needed to shower, but he didn’t want to leave Niall alone. Liam rolled his eyes. He didn’t realise Niall was going to be such a stubborn patient. He dreaded to see Niall after a couple days of bed rest. Niall obviously didn’t like being still. Liam walked back in, ready to lecture Niall about being still while he showered.

“Babe, I’m –” Liam stopped, smiling. Niall was asleep, curled up slightly, arm slung over his ribs. He watched Niall for a bit. Seeing his chest rise and fall with each breath had a calming effect on Liam. Just knowing Niall was okay, breathing, comforted him.

Liam shook himself, wiping off a tear from his cheek. He didn’t know he had started crying, but he couldn’t let Niall see. He moved swiftly into the shower to turn the water on. As he waited for it to warm, he allowed himself to think about Niall. His smile, his laugh. The brightness of his eyes while he was laying on the bed after he was carried off the field.

Liam was hit with this intense feeling. He had to sit down on toilet lid, so he didn’t fall over. He didn’t know this much _feeling_ could fit inside his chest. He turned to the mirror, half expecting to see it dripping out of his pores, but his own face looked back, eyes wide. Liam couldn’t tell Niall, not now. They hadn’t even known each other a month, but Liam should’ve expected it. Thinking about Niall now, Liam knew this is it. He was done looking.

Niall was it for him. Liam loves him.

 

Liam took a quick shower, scrubbing the dirt and grime off his body. He pulled on a pair of boxers before scrubbing his head with a towel. Once his hair was relatively dry, he let himself climb into bed, curling around Niall. He didn’t wrap an arm around Niall like he wanted to, afraid to hurt him, but he fell asleep quickly.

 

***

 

When Liam woke up the next morning, Niall was still asleep. Not wanting to leave Niall in case he woke up and needed him, he stayed in bed, playing on his phone.

As he scrolled through twitter, an article from Buzzfeed stood out.

**“Niall Horan, Taken Down in Last Night’s Olympic Soccer Match!”**

_As you may know, yesterday, Ireland and Nigeria faced off in the Olympic semi-finals. After a long game, it seemed that they’d end the game tied. However, with only seven minutes left in the game, Niall Horan, a starting forward for the Irish team, scored the goal that ultimately sealed Ireland’s win. This means that Ireland is advancing to the gold medal match in two weeks. Unfortunately, after a short fight for possession of the ball, he was tripped and kicked in the chest by Nigerian captain, Mikel._

_Our sources tell us the Irish player suffered from a fractured rib and severe bruising. He is expected to make a full recovery, but it is unknown whether or not we will see the blonde playing in the match. We wish him a speedy recovery. We’re not too worried about him, though. He seems to have a good doctor, and maybe something more, in fellow starting forward Liam Payne of the English team. Payne was seen helping the Irish boy back to the Olympic hotel after the match yesterday. They seemed to be quite friendly. We’re not sure exactly how friendly they are, but we will keep you updated._

 

Liam sighed. He’d forgotten all about the paps outside after the game yesterday. He didn’t even _want_ to see the pictures they’d gotten of their arms wrapped around each other. Liam could’ve sworn he wasn’t being obvious. It’s not like they’d been getting photographed together since they started seeing each other. It was just that one time.

“Hey,” Niall said. “What’s got you thinking so hard this early?” Liam thought about not telling Niall, but it involved him just as much, if not more. So, Liam handed Niall his phone.

He watched Niall’s eyes read over the article. He glanced up at Liam once before continuing to read. He passed the phone back to Liam.

“So?” Niall shrugged.

“What do you mean ‘so’? They think we’re together!”

“We are together.”

“Not my point. My point is _they_ think we’re together.”

“I still don’t see the problem.”

“Niall, the paps know. That means other people might know!”

“I didn’t realise I was so disappointing to be with,” Niall murmured. He tried to sit up, maybe having forgotten how sore he’d be. He yelped and clutched his side.

“Fuck, fucking shit,” He swore. “Jesus fucking –” He let out a breath through his nose. When he opened his eyes, they were watering, and his breathing was shaky.

“I’m not disappointed to be with you,” Liam said softly, taking his hand. “I just –”

“I know.”

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Liam knew he was lying, but figured he owed him a break.

 

***

 

“I’m sorry I can’t go to your game,” Niall said as Liam packed up his things.

“I’ll leave the remote with you, and you can watch it,” Liam said.

“Oh, you better.” Niall replied cheekily. “I’d be upset with you if you didn’t.” Liam pressed a kiss to Niall’s lips before handing him the remote.

“Well, I’m glad you won’t be upset with me now.”

“Good luck, babe.” Liam smiled at him and, after reminding him to not get up unless it was totally necessary, headed to the game.

 

It’d been three days since Niall had gotten hurt. Liam had tried his best to keep Niall in bed, but he occasionally allowed Niall to get up. They normally went to sit on the balcony that Liam had previously ignored. Liam knew Niall must be desperate for fresh air, and that was the best he could do until Niall’s better.

The few times Liam’s asked how he is, Niall has said he feels good. Getting better every day. Liam really hopes Niall gets to play in the gold medal match. It would honestly break Niall’s heart if he couldn’t.

 

England won the game against Germany 3-1. Niall didn’t miss much. It was a rather boring game, but Liam had an assist and scored a goal, so he figured he’d bring back something so he could celebrate with Niall. He stopped at a fast food place and picked them both up burgers and fries.

When he got back to the room, Niall was sitting on the couch in the main room, watching tv.

“Babe, what are you doing out of bed?”

“Just wanted to sit in a different position. I think I’m getting bed sores on my bum.” Liam chuckled.

“Do I need to inspect your bum?” Niall laid his head back carefully.

“Don’t say anything even remotely sexual, Li. I haven’t had sex in _days_ , and I might explode.”

“Aw,” Liam cooed. “Is my Nialler sexually frustrated?” Niall just glared at him. “Fine, I’ll just eat your burger.” He sat at the table by couch and Niall lasted exactly four seconds before he was moving slowly to the table, holding his ribs.

“Thanks,” Niall said softly as he took a bite.

“How are the ribs?”

“Feeling good,” Niall said. “The game was good.” Liam noticed the change of subject, but decided to let it go. Instead, he answered Niall’s questions about the game until he fell quiet in the middle of a sentence.

“Niall?”

“This means that we’ll be competing against each other.” He said.

“Yeah,” Liam said softly. “That’s one of the reasons I didn’t really want anyone knowing about us until either one of us lost, or the games were over. I don’t want either of our teams to think we’re favouring each other.” Niall nodded.

“Don’t worry, babe,” Niall said, grinning widely. “We’re gonna crush you.” Liam just laughed.

 

After they had finished eating, Liam filled up the bathtub with warm water for Niall. Liam helped him pull his clothes off, careful not to cause him too much pain, and let Niall clutch onto his shoulders as he stepped into the tub. As soon as Niall was settled, Liam jumped in the shower. He washed himself off quickly, scrubbing soap over his body. He shampooed his hair in record timing and turned the water off. He heard Niall humming for a second before he stopped.

“You don’t have to stop,” Liam said carefully as he stepped out of the shower. Niall’s face turned red, and Liam dropped a kiss on top of his still dry hair. “I’ll be right back.”

Liam dried himself off and slipped on boxers and a pair of shorts before he walked back into the bathroom. Niall was leaned against the side of the tub with his eyes closed. Liam stood quietly in the doorway, hoping to hear Niall sing, but he didn’t.

“Ready?” Liam asked softly. Niall’s eyes fluttered open, and he nodded. Liam helped him sit forward so he could wash his hair. He cupped a hand over Niall’s forehead as he washed the shampoo out. He handed Niall the soap and turned to brush his teeth, allowing Niall some privacy.

When Niall was done, Liam pulled the drain out and helped Niall stand and step out. He passed Niall a clean towel and let him tie it around his waist. Using a hand towel, Liam carefully dried Niall’s hair until it was spiky, pointing all different directions. He kissed Niall, and guided him into the room to get dressed.

 

Later, while they were in bed, Liam brought it back up.

“How do your ribs feel, babe?”

“They’re fine.” Niall said, paying attention to the movie playing. Liam muted it.

“Niall,” He prompted softly.

“They’re fine,” Niall unmuted the movie and didn’t say anything else. Liam frowned, not taking his eyes off his boyfriend. “Stop staring.” Niall whispered. His voice sounded weird. When Liam caught Niall’s eyes, he sniffled. Liam’s heart melted, and he moved over to hug Niall.

“Talk to me.”

“I’m fine.” Niall’s voice wavered, and Liam frowned. He wanted Niall to _want_ to talk to him. Liam wanted him to feel safe enough to confide in Liam and trust him with his weaknesses. Liam was totally in this, even if Niall wasn’t. He wanted Niall to understand that, but he didn’t know how to get it across.

Racking his brain, Liam found the words. He started to sing, softly, next to Niall’s ear. “ _You can talk to me it’s more than skin deep, I’m trying yeah, since we’re alone, yeah you can show me your heart_.” Niall locked eyes with Liam, and broke. He cried, softly, into Liam’s shoulder, clutching at his shirt.

“I’m so fucking scared,” He said, breathing uneven, and voice shaky.

“Why, babe?”

“’Cause, I should be getting better, yeah?” He didn’t pause, so Liam stayed quiet. “My ribs shouldn’t feel like I just got kicked. It’s been _three days_. I should be able to fucking _breathe_ without it still feeling like someone is sitting on me.”

“Ribs are weird bones to heal. With fractures, all you can really do is wait and let them do their thing. We can try ice, if you want. It’s supposed to help with swelling. Also pain meds. I know you think you’re strong and tough and don’t need them, but they do help your body recover.”

“How do you know so much about this?” Niall asked.

“I researched some stuff that morning after the game. I wanted to be able to help you.” Niall just stared at Liam, and then his face broke out into a grin, pink cheeks pushing up.

“You are adorable, Liam Payne,” Niall said, leaning over to kiss him with a groan. Liam rolled his eyes. This is a perfect time to tell Niall. He could just say it, right now, and let it be out there, but for some reason, he doesn’t. Instead, he lays Niall down carefully.

Liam hovers over the smaller frame below him, careful not to put any weight on the injured blonde. Niall was looking up at Liam with dark eyes, mouth slightly open. Liam attached his lips to Niall’s, immediately licking into his mouth. With a whine, Niall tried to arch up into Liam’s body, but cursed.

“Shit, can’t do that,” Niall muttered against Liam’s lips, continuing to kiss him.

“Hush, babe,” Liam whispered. “Let me take care of you.” Niall nodded vigorously, continuing to nod long after Liam pulled his pants down to his thighs. He made quick work of Niall’s pants, tossing them over the edge of the bed, and then crawled back up Niall’s body.

“I need you to tell me if I hurt you, or if you’re in pain at all,” Liam said. Niall nodded. “Promise?”

“Fuck, Liam, yeah, I promise.” Niall was panting, trying to stay as still as he could. Liam jumped off the bed to grab some lube out of his bag. When he joined Niall on the bed again, he was in the exact same position, eyes shut tight.

“Good boy.” Niall keened at the praise, letting out a heavy breath as Liam finally gets a hand on him.

 

Liam glances over at Niall, who is sleeping soundly beside him. It hadn’t taken Liam long to pull an orgasm, and then, when he begged for Liam’s mouth, a second, from Niall. It had been nearly a week since they’d been able to get their hands on each other like that. Since they had made it official, Liam had been more interested in learning everything he could about the blonde.

 

***

 

When Liam’s alarm went off early the next morning, Niall had poked at his arm until he smiled.

“Shut it off,” Niall grumbled, pulling a pillow over his head. His accent was always much more pronounced when he was sleepy. Liam was terribly fond of the way Niall behaved when he woke up. His heavily-accented voice, mussed hair, and sleepy eyes made Liam’s heart flutter in his chest every time he got to wake up next to Niall. It made him want to kiss the boy currently digging bony fingers into Liam’s ribs. It made him come dangerously close to blurting out his love.

It also made him late for practice.

 

“Payne!” A voice barked at Liam as he jogged onto the pitch. He was the last person on the field, and his face was hot as he joined his teammates. His coach wasn’t here yet, thankfully, but he knew he’d get griped at by the team. “Just ‘cause you scored a goal in the last game doesn’t mean you can skip out on practice!” It was Hart, the primary goalie. He grinned and clapped Liam on the back, letting him know he was kidding, but Liam saw a few unfriendly faces in the crowd.

“I’m sorry I’m late guys,” Liam said, voice raised so everyone could hear him. “Decided to wait for the shuttle, but it was running late, so I ended up walking.” Niall must be rubbing off on him. The lie slipped easily through Liam’s lips, even though he’d been rehearsing how he’d explain his tardiness since he stepped foot out of the hotel. So, maybe he needed a bit more practice until he was level with Niall’s abilities to deflect questions, but he was making progress.

Liam knew it was going to come up sooner or later. He had prepared himself for what he would have to say to make it seem believable. However, that didn’t take the shock out of the bluntness of the question when it was asked.

“So, what’s with you and that Irish guy?” Someone asked. Liam couldn’t see who it was, but he answered.

“Niall,” Liam provided uselessly, tongue curling around the lie as it fell from his lips, “He’s a good friend.” He wasn’t going to pretend like Niall wasn’t a part of his life. However, until after the final game, Niall had to stay a friend, and only a friend, to Liam. “We met the first day we were here. Louis, me, Niall, and his friend Harry all like to hang out. Harry is a swimmer, and Niall plays footie.”

“Maybe you shouldn’t play in the match.” Again, Liam didn’t know who said it, but the words stung. He saw a few heads nodding, but didn’t allow himself to focus on faces enough to know who agreed. Liam sighed.

“Look, guys, just because I have a friend on the other team doesn’t mean I’m going to go easy on them, or help them win. I want this just as much as everyone else here. Yes, he is my friend, but I won’t let that affect my playing.” Liam let his eyes rest on Louis. He hadn’t said a word this entire time, but Liam had felt his eyes on him. Now, Louis was watching him with an even expression, standing in the back.

The guys nodded, and walked up to Liam. They clapped him on the back, hugged him, and accepted his lie. Louis just walked past him without a word.

 

“Lou,” Liam huffed. He jogged up behind the brunette, falling into step with him. “Can we talk?”

“Why? We apparently don’t talk anymore,” He said, the venom in his voice obvious.

“We do talk! I’ve just been busy.”

“With _what_ , Liam?” Louis snarled, whipping around to face Liam. Liam frowned at his tone, but told him.

“I’ve been taking care of my boyfriend,” Liam said with a soft voice. Louis’ face immediately softened.

“Niall?” Liam nodded. Louis sighed with a sad smile. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I don’t even know. We didn’t talk about it being a secret or anything, it just became one. At first, we were just hooking up, and then we started hanging out, and – _fuck_ , Louis. I’m in love with him.” Louis raised an eyebrow, but didn’t say anything about it.

“Are you happy?” He asked. Liam didn’t hesitate to nod, a big goofy grin plastered on his face that Louis teased him about as they start walking again. “Then that’s all I care about.”

“Thanks, Lou.”

“How is he, by the way?”

“Restless. And stubborn as all hell. He hates being cooped up all day and night, but his ribs need to heal. The first night, he was out of bed every time I wasn’t watching, and I’m sure he’s been up while I’ve been at practice. His ribs need a bit more time, but he’s okay.”

“Have you told him?” Louis asked in a tone that told Liam exactly what he was talking about.

“No. I don’t want to freak him out. Or make him think I’m throwing empty words out there. I haven’t even known him a month, Lou. How do _I_ even know it’s real?”

“In my opinion, you just know. Feels different for everyone, but if you love someone you _know_.”

 

They didn’t say anything else, but Liam invited him up to his room so he could help entertain Niall. Liam walked into the bedroom first, Louis close behind.

“Hey, ba – Liam.” Niall cut himself off from ‘babe’ as Louis walked in. “Thanks for letting me crash here while you were gone.” He turned to Louis, who let him ramble on with an excuse Louis knew was a lie. “TV in my room has been out, so Liam let me watch the Olympics in here.”

“Niall,” Liam said, a smile on his face. “He knows.” Niall looked at him and cocked his head. Liam came to sit on the bed with him, and he leaned over to kiss Niall on the cheek. When he pulled back, Niall’s face was bright red, and he smacked Liam on the shoulder.

“And you let me embarrass myself!” He exclaimed, smacking him again. “Worst boyfriend ever.”

“Last week you told me I was the best, so which is it, babe? Best or worst?” Liam asked, pressing a soft kiss to Niall’s lips. Niall hummed.

“Definitely the best.” Louis cleared his throat, and Liam blushed, having forgotten his friend had joined them.

 

***

 

The air was alive with the anticipation. Louis was bouncing on his toes to Liam’s left. Niall stood to Liam’s right, and Liam was itching to take his hand. It was Niall’s first outing since they had been photographed together after Niall was hurt. They had seen Zayn earlier, but he had been invited to sit with the other gymnasts, so he wasn’t with them. Liam knew he was here, though.

“Lou, you good?”

“Nervous. But, yeah, I’m good,” He said.

“You know he’s going to be great.” Louis nodded.

“When is his heat?” Niall asked.

“He’s next.”

When the current swimmers had all exited the water, the next round of athletes walked in. Harry was nearly the last one to walk in. His tight, dark blue swim trunks contrasted against his pale skin. He had on a zip up jacket and headphones over his curly hair.

He pulled off his headphones and grinned out at the audience. His dimples were like craters in his cheek, and Liam glanced at Louis. He was staring. Liam chuckled. He nudged Niall’s hip softly, getting the blonde to look up at him.

“Hey,” Liam murmured. Niall rolled his eyes.

“Hi.”

“How are you feeling?”

“Much better, which is exactly what I said when you asked me this morning.” He chuckled.

“I know, I know. Just worried about you is all.” Liam turned back to focus on Harry, allowing his hand to brush over the back of Niall’s. He snuck a look at Niall out of the corner of his eye. Niall’s cheeks were bright pink, and Liam smirked to himself. He shifted his attention onto Harry.

Harry had already stripped off his jacket, and was pulling on a swim cap when Liam pulled his attention off Niall. Harry got his cap situated on his head and pulled on his goggles. Then, he pulled on a second cap to secure his goggles. Harry pulled an arm over his chest to stretch out a shoulder, repeating with the other side. After a few more stretches, Harry was bouncing on his feet.

“Swimmers, to your lanes,” A voice announced. The swimmers all climbed onto the starting block, and Harry stretched his arms out one last time. One beep sounded through the stadium, and all the swimmers crouched down. Another beep sounded, and they all leapt from the blocks.

Harry arced gracefully through the air, probably the most graceful thing Liam has ever seen the long-limbed boy do. Liam and Louis were jumping up and down, cheering for the boy. Niall, not wanting to push his body too far, was clapping and cheering for his friend.

He was swimming freestyle, and Harry was good. They watched Harry pull ahead easily. His arms tore into the water ahead of him and ripped back to propel him forward. His legs were churning up the water behind him, creating bubbles that made the water white. Liam watched in awe as Harry approached the wall. He rolled underwater and pushed off the side.

By the last length of the pool, Harry was more than his body length ahead of second place. After his hands touched the wall and his time flashed up, Harry popped his head out of the water. The other swimmers were finishing. Harry’s time flashed up on the screen again, with PR and WR next to it. The crowd, and Louis, went nuts.

“Louis, what does that mean?!” Liam asked. He had to shout to be heard, but he felt his face aching with a grin. The environment was infectious.

“PR means he set his own personal record for this event. And WR means he set a _world_ record for the event!” Louis shouted back.

“That’s amazing!” Liam passed on the news to Niall, and he grinned back at Liam. In the excitement, Liam could taste the words on his tongue. It’d be so easy to lean over to Niall and whisper into his ear. No one would even notice because of all the excitement around them.

But he didn’t, instead Liam gathered Louis and Niall into a celebratory hug. If he used the hug as an excuse to settle a hand onto the back of Niall’s neck and kiss his forehead, no one had to know.

 

***

 

Louis had ditched them to go celebrate with Harry, which Liam knew meant they were going to be locked in one of their rooms until the morning. So, he settled into bed for a quiet night in with his boyfriend.

Niall was currently laying on Liam’s chest, letting the brown-haired footie player play with his hair. Liam let his eyes slip closed, dozing off a bit.

“Li,” Niall murmured. Liam hummed in response. “Want me to go get dinner?”

“Will you sing for me?”

“What?” Niall chuckled.

“I want you to sing for me. Will you?”

“I, uh, yeah, sure.” He said. “I’m gonna go grab some food. I’ll be back.” Niall pressed a kiss to Liam’s forehead and left quietly.

Liam allowed himself to drift off a bit. He caught flashes of blonde hair and blue eyes behind his eyelids. Bubbling laughter echoed in his head. He couldn’t help but smile. He heard Niall’s voice, just out of range, and strained his ears to be able to make out his words.

“Babe, wake up,” Niall shook Liam’s shoulder until he stirred. “I’m back, and I brought food.”

“Mmm. Thanks,” Liam mumbled. He pulled Niall down on top of his to seal their lips together. Liam slid his hands around Niall’s waist to pull him closer. He stroked his thumb over Niall’s injured ribs. “How do they feel?”

“Loads better. I think I’m ready to start exercising again.”

“Are you sure? Do you want to give it a bit more time?”

“No. I’m as ready as I’ll ever be. I think I’ll go with you to you practice tomorrow and get some laps in.”

“Okay, just don’t push yourself too hard.” Niall nodded and crawled off Liam to help pull him up.

“C’mon. Time to eat.”

 

They settled down at the small table off the kitchen and ate in relative silence. Liam finished first and allowed himself to sit and watch Niall. He couldn’t believe how lucky he was. First, to have the opportunity to compete in the Olympics, and on top of that, he’s here with his best friend. Second, being able to have the opportunity to meet and compete against so many great athletes. And third, to be able to have met Niall. He was honestly the best part of this. Liam knew that if he shared his thoughts with Niall, he’d tease him endlessly.

“Babe,” Niall said. Liam shook himself from his thoughts and met Niall’s gaze. “I’ll take your trash.”

“Thanks.” Liam smiled and followed Niall into the kitchen. “Don’t think I’ve forgotten you told me you’d sing for me.” Niall chuckled.

“Fine. I’ve gotta go get my guitar, then.”

“It’s here?”

“In my room, but yeah. I brought it.” Liam grinned and pressed a chaste kiss to Niall’s lips as they parted.

 

When Niall came back, he had a beautifully crafted acoustic guitar in hand, as well as a book. Liam beckoned him back to the bedroom and they settled onto the bed.

“Okay, it’s a work in progress, and I’m really not too fond of the start, So I’m gonna start just before the last chorus and sing to the end.” His gaze was flitting around the room, and Liam could tell he was nervous.

“I’m gonna love it,” Liam promised. Niall nodded, and he opened the book he brought. He turned to a page and, at the top, he saw “You and I” scrawled across the top. Niall cleared his throat and played a few chords. His voice was a nice, deep, soothing sound.

 _From a distance, I can hear you cry,_  
but don’t you worry darling,  
don’t lose sleep tonight.  
I can promise it,  
I can guarantee,  
that at the end of the road,  
I see you with me.

Liam’s breath caught in his throat. Niall glanced up to catch his eye, and they exchanged smiles as Niall’s voice rose to start the chorus. __  
  
Time’s never been on our side,  
so won’t you wait for me?  
I need a selfish life  
cause that’s what I need  
What do I have to do  
to make you believe  
it’s all for you and me?

Liam doesn’t quite know what to say. Niall is still strumming, quieter now, so Liam stays quiet.

 _When I look down the line,_  
at the man I wanna be,  
I’ve always known from the start,  
that it ends with you and me.

Once again, Liam is struck with the thought of ‘this is the perfect time to tell him.’ His mouth is even open, the words practically dripping from his mouth, but he surges forward instead to kiss Niall.

“When did you write that?” Liam asked.

“Few days ago, I think. While you were at a practice. I couldn’t sleep.” It took Liam a moment to realise what that meant. They’d been together for about two weeks.

“Oh… _Oh_.” Liam said as the truth sunk in. “You wrote it for me?” Niall sets down his guitar and settles next to Liam.

“Well, maybe not _for_ you. When I was writing it, I never thought I’d sing it to you, but I did write it about you.” Niall’s cheeks turned pink, and Liam fought with himself about telling Niall how he feels.

He stops himself, but later that night as he presses into Niall, their sweaty skin sticking together slightly, he has to bite his finger to keep the words from spilling out.

 

***

 

“Are you ready?” Liam asked. Niall nodded. “And your ribs?”

“They’re fine, Li,” He chuckled. “Look.” Niall raised his arms over his head and bent side to side. He bent down to touch his toes and even did a few jumping  jacks. “Totally fine. I can even do a handstand.” He kicked a leg out, but Liam stopped him, laughing.

“Alright, alright, I believe you.” Liam looked down at Niall for a moment more before he cupped his cheek and pulled him in for a kiss.

“Are _you_ okay?” Niall asked, frowning at his odd behaviour.

“I’m nervous, worried about you, excited to play, and sad.” Liam admitted.

“Sad?”

“I’m sad that this is my last game, and I’m sad that, after this, we’ll both go home to different countries.” Niall was silent, but he walked forward into Liam’s arms to hug him tightly.

“I’m not going to leave and forget about you, if that’s what you’re worried about. We can figure it out when The Games are over, but we both have enough to worry about.” Liam nodded.

“You know, as soon as we step foot out of this room, you’re just my friend? And when we get to the arena, you are only my competition?”

“Yeah,” Niall murmured. “You just have to kiss me enough before we leave to make up for it.”

“I’ll start now.” Liam said. He pulled Niall in by his waist and grabbed his jaw. His lips met Niall’s in a firm kiss. He swiped his tongue over Niall’s lower lips, hardly waiting for permission before he’s licking into Niall’s mouth. Liam hears Niall’s soft moan right before he presses his body against Liam’s.

“How long until we have to leave?” Niall asked, breath hot against Liam’s lips.

“Not long enough.”

“Fuck.”

“I just told you, babe. We don’t have enough time.” Liam chuckled when Niall smacked his chest. “C’mon, let’s go.” He coaxed Niall forward with a hand on his lower back. He paused at the door to kiss Niall one more time before he let his hand drop. He opened the door, allowing Niall to walk out first.

Now, they were just friends.

Liam felt nostalgic as he walked to the arena for what he knew to be the last time. Liam wanted so badly to be able to take Niall’s hand, but he didn’t. If he stepped closer to allow their hands to brush, however, no one needs to know.

 

They sit in the locker room together, silent. Regardless of the outcome of the game, Liam knew his life was going to change today. The words that had been resting on the tip of Liam’s tongue for days were aching to be released.

“I should get to my locker room.” Niall’s voice was loud in the quiet room. Liam was reluctant to let Niall go, wanting desperately to share his feelings. He was torn between telling Niall how he felt and waiting until after the game. He didn’t want to distract Niall.

“Of course.”

“I’ll see you after?” Niall asked.

“You know where my room is.” Liam chuckled. Niall crowded into Liam’s space, pushing up onto his toes to kiss Liam. “Good luck, babe.”

“You, too. Have a good game.” Niall grabbed his bag and slung it over his shoulder, walking towards the door. Liam, in a surge of bravery, called after him.

“Niall?” The blonde paused, hand on the door. He turned to face Liam, a small smile on his face.

“Yeah?”

“I love you.” Niall’s eyes widened slightly, but he was interrupted by the door opening. A small group of Liam’s teammates came through the door, chattering excitedly, Louis near the back. Their chatter stopped as they noticed the Irishman. However, before anyone could say anything, Louis jumped forward.

“Niall!” Louis exclaimed. Niall’s still-shocked face turned towards Louis.

“Hey, mate.” Liam, so attuned to Niall’s moods now, could tell that his voice was different. Liam was hoping he didn’t freak the blonde out. He couldn’t help but feel lighter, however, with the weight of his words off his chest and out in the open.

“Did you leave it?” Louis asked. Liam’s eyebrows furrowed, focused once again on the blonde, confused.

“Leave what?”

“My phone charger. You left it in my locker, right?” Liam saw Louis give Niall a look, and the blonde caught on. This was his out.

“Oh, yeah, I did.”

“Thanks.” Louis chirped, easing the tension in the room. “Good luck tonight.”

“Thanks, you too.” And then he was gone, out the door.

 

“Liam, what the hell was he doing in here?” Louis hissed in Liam’s ear during the typical “it’s-almost-game-time” speech the coach gave before every match. Liam finished tying his cleats before he answered.

“We walked to the arena together. We just sat.”

“I’m not worried about what you were doing. I’m worried about what the team thinks about your ‘friend’ being in the locker room with you. _Alone_.”

“I told him I love him.” Liam admitted softly. Louis snapped his head to look at him.

“What did he say?”

“He didn’t. Everyone walked in before he could, but he looked a bit freaked out.”

“Liam-”

“Do you think I fucked it up?”

“No! It’s a big thing to wrap your head around. It’ll be okay.” Liam nodded, tuning in to hear the end of the coach’s speech. They huddled up for a pre-game pep talk, and then walked out to the field as a team.

The Irish team was already on the field warming up, and Liam couldn’t help but glance around for Niall. After spotting the blonde stretching in the sidelines, Liam forced his eyes away.

Henderson, the captain, led the team in some stretches. Then, they broke away to practice penalty kicks and warm up individually. Liam just so happened to glance up into the stands and saw Harry and Zayn. They saw him and waved, Harry much more enthusiastically. Liam chuckled and grabbed Louis’ attention to point them out. Louis waved back at them.

 

***

 

What seemed like five, but was really thirty, minutes later, the ref blew the whistle for the teams to take the field. Liam jogged onto the field next to Louis, letting the roar of the crowd settle his nerves. He could feel his cheeks aching from how hard he was smiling. As he took his position on the field, he couldn’t help but search the field for a head of blonde hair. He found it almost immediately. Niall was running onto the field on the opposite side of the field, hair bouncing softly on his forehead. Liam knew exactly how soft his hair was when it ran through his fingers. He knew how it felt when it was wet after a shower, dry and fluffy, and even damp with sweat after a workout.

Liam was still thinking about Niall’s hair when the game begins. He quickly shook himself out of it and focused on the game. Thankfully, England won the coin toss and got possession of the ball first. Ireland’s green jerseys stood out, making it easy for Liam to notice the Irish player marking him as he drew closer to assist a midfielder, Gray.

Running down the field parallel with Gray, Liam waved his hand to signal he’s open for the ball. An Irish player Liam vaguely recognised runs up behind Gray. When he got a bit too close, Gray kicked the ball across the grass to Liam. Liam gained control quickly, continuing to move up the field. After a short scuffle with an Irish player, Liam lost possession of the ball and was pelting after the green shirt with “O’Brien” across the back.

 

Liam wasn’t sure where the time went, but after two goals for England and one for Ireland, the whistle was blown to signal halftime. As he followed the mass of English uniforms into their locker room, Louis caught up to him. The fringe on his forehead was matted into clumps from sweat, but Louis’ grin was huge.

“How’s it goin’, mate?” Louis greeted with a clap on Liam’s back.

“Aw, great. Having a blast. I think we could actually _win_ this.”

“Same. I’m _so_ having celebratory sex tonight.”

“I didn’t need to know that,” Liam groaned.

The team settled around the benches for the coach’s “pep talk,” with Louis and Liam zoning out almost immediately. Liam desperately wanted to pull his phone out and text Niall, but he didn’t want to get called out. He was surprised that they hadn’t both gone after the ball yet. Both being forwards, Liam had expected to be head-to-head with his boyfriend at some point.

“C’mon, Li,” Louis said, snapping Liam from his thoughts. He felt like he had just sat down, but given how stiff his muscles had gotten, Liam would guess he’d been sitting for at least fifteen minutes, meaning halftime was over. Louis pulled Liam up with a firm hand. After a quick look, Liam and Louis walked out onto the field after the team.

The Irish team was already on the field warming up, and the English team joined them. They stretched their muscles back out, circled on the field around the captain. When they were done, the team did a lap around the field. Liam noticed Niall on the edge of the field, and it took everything in Liam’s power to not yell a greeting or wave. He forced his face to remain stoic as he ran past his boyfriend.

 

Not much later, the game began again with a sharp blow of the whistle. The teams immediately jumped into action, chasing after the ball. Being a forward, Liam was one of the first to touch the ball. He pulled it back to him, away from an Irish player he didn’t know, and spun to kick the ball away. He spotted Kane, a fellow forward, open, and passed the ball to him.

Liam used this opportunity to move closer to the goal, focused solely on the ball at Kane’s feet. As an Irish player ran up to mark Kane, he passed the ball neatly to Liam, who continued to move closer to the goal. When his eyes were focused ahead, Liam didn’t notice the Irish player come up beside him until he was right there. Liam focused his gaze on his feet as he fought with the Irish player for control of the ball. It took a couple seconds to place the cleats. Liam, still fighting for the ball, looked up to see his boyfriend.

“Hey, babe,” Niall said, mouth barely moving.

“You’re goin’ down, don’t distract me,” Liam shot back. Niall chuckled, feet still moving. Liam could hear Niall’s breaths clearly, sharp breaths audible over the crowd.

“Li?” Liam looked up for a second.

“Yeah?”

“I love you, too.”

Not expecting this announcement, Liam tripped over Niall’s feet. As Liam went down, Niall pelted away with the ball. Still in shock, Liam got to his feet in time to see Niall flying down the field. Liam ran down the field, dazed, and made it a few strides past midfield in time to see Niall kick the ball neatly into the goal. The Irish supporters erupted into applause; the game was tied.

 

***

 

Almost two hours later, Liam was laying in his bed, freshly showered. A quiet knock on the door brought a smile to his face. Liam already knew it was Niall. As soon as Liam opened the door, Niall was inside, a big smile on his face.

“Hey, babe,” Niall greeted.

“Hey, yourself.”

“I brought food.” Niall held up a bag, the smell of toasted bread hit Liam’s nose, making his stomach grumble. Liam took the bag from Niall and set it on the counter before he pulled the blonde closer. Niall came easily, melting into the kiss.

“Congrats on your gold medal,” Liam murmured against Niall’s lips.

“Thanks, congrats on your silver medal.” Niall chuckled. “C’mon, let’s eat.”

 

When they were laying in bed later that night, Niall rolled over to look at Liam, propped up on one elbow.

“Li?”

“Yeah, babe?”

“I just wanted you to know, what I said on the field, I meant it.”

“Oh, so you didn’t say it just to distract me?” Liam chuckled.

“Of course not!” Niall exclaimed.

“Babe, I was kidding. I didn’t think that at all.”

“Alright, good,” Niall said. He leaned closer to Liam and pressed their lips together softly. “Cause I do love you.”

“I love you, too.”

 

The next morning, Liam woke up to three messages and a missed call from his mum. He also had a message from each of his sisters. They all had the same content: a link. He followed the link to a Buzzfeed article.

**“Ireland player, Niall Horan confesses love for competition!”**

_As we predicted, two Olympic forwards, Horan and Payne, are official! Don’t believe us? Watch this video:_

There was a video embedded into the web page that housed a poor-quality, close-up video of Niall’s mouth from during the match the day before. Liam played the video, watching Niall’s mouth wrap around the words on a loop, until he broke out of his trance.

_During a short fight for possession, (and maybe dominance?) Horan was filmed saying what looks an awful lot like “I love you, too” to Payne. We’re praying for an official announcement from one or both of them. However, we already know it’s true._

 

Liam, chuckling softly to himself, shook Niall awake to share the article with him.

“Look, babe,” Liam murmured softly when Niall’s eyes finally opened. He blinked a few times like he was clearing his vision. “They’re already speculating.”

Niall took Liam’s phone when he offered it and scanned through the article. He played the video, smiling.

“Well, they _are_ right. That’s what I said.”

“I know,” Liam told him. “But now we can confirm it.”

 

Niall and Liam sat side by side on Liam’s bed, tweeting simultaneously. An hour later, with their tweets having been retweeted a few hundred times, _#Niam_ was trending worldwide.


End file.
